I'- 


ii  ^!ii 


DEC 


THE 

SPECIALIZED  TRAINING 
OF  MISSIONARIES 


O ' 'J 

-tOLOQmil 


PRICE  50  CENTS 


31 


BOARD  OF  MISSIONARY  PREPARATION 
25  Madison  Avenue,  New  York 


THE  BOARD  OF 
MISSIONARY  PREPARATION 

The  Board  of  Missionary  Preparation  for  North  America 
was  created  in  1911  by  the  Foreign  Missions  Conference  of 
North  America  to  make  a thorough  study  of  the  many  prob- 
lems involved  in  adequate  preparation  for  foreign  mission- 
ary service  in  all  fields.  It  consists  at  present  of  thirty-six 
members,  soon  to  be  enlarged  to  forty-eight,  representing 
Boards  of  Foreign  Missions,  general  as  well  as  candidate 
secretaries,  professors  in  theological  seminaries  and  in  spe- 
cial schools  and  departments  for  missionary  training,  and 
others  whose  study  of  the  missionary  enterprise  or  of  edu- 
cational methods  especially  qualifies  them  to  advise. 

The  Board  has  issued  reports  of  its  annual  meetings  and 
of  conferences  on  special  problems  of  preparation.  It  also 
issues  sey^al  series  of  pamphlets,  carefully  revised  at  in- 
tervals, on  the  many  phases  of  missionary  preparation. 
These  pamphlets  are  widely  used  by  Boards  for  the  infor- 
mation of  their  foreign  missionary  candidates.  It  is  be- 
lieved that  they  meet  adequately  for  the  first  time  the  needs 
of  such  candidates  for  suggestions  which  may  help  them  to 
make  the  wisest  use  of  their  opportunities  during  their  col- 
lege and  professional  study.  One  series  renders  the  same 
sort  of  helpful  guidance  to  the  young  missionary  on  the 
field  during  the  first  term  of  service  and  in  anticipation  of 
the  first  furlough. 

The  Board  holds  from  time  to  time  conferences  at  which 
those  who  are  responsible  as  administrators  or  as  educators 
for  the  promotion  of  proper  policies  in  missionary  prepara- 
tion are  brought  together  with  missionaries  of  experience 
and  with  specialists  to  unite  in  their  formulation. 

The  Board  also  employs  a Director  who  gives  his  entire 
time  to  correlating  and  extending  its  activities.  Candidate 
secretaries  of  Foreign  Mission  Boards,  teachers  in  schools 
which  train  missionary  candidates,  and  others  interested  in 
special  problems  of  missionary  training  are  invited  to  cor- 
respond with  him  at  the  office  of  the  Board  of  Missionary 
Preparation,  25  Madison  Avenue,  New  York  City. 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINI 
OF  MISSIONARIES 


THE  REPORT  OF  A COMMITTEE  APPOINTED  BY 
THE  BOARD  OF  MISSIONARY  PREPARATION 


Professor  Thomas  H.  P.  Sailer,  Ph.D.,  Chairman 
Reverend  William  I.  Chamberlain,  Ph.D. 
Professor  Daniel  J.  Fleming,  Ph.D. 

Dean  H.  E.  W.  Fosbroke,  D.D. 

Reverend  Stanley  White,  D.D. 


Board  of  Missionary  Preparation 
25  Madison  Avenue,  New  York 


BOARD  OF  MISSIONARY  PREPARATION 


Prof.  Frederick  L.  Anderson,  D.D. 
Rev.  Janies  L.  Barton,  D.D. 

Prof.  Harlan  P.  Beach,  D.D. 

Dean  O.  E.  Brown,  D.D. 

Prof.  Ernest  DeWitt  Burton,  D.D. 
Miss  Helen  B.  Calder 
Prof.  Edward  W.  Capen,  Ph.D. 
Prof.  W.  O.  Carver,  D.D. 

Rev.  William  I.  Chamberlain,  Ph.D. 

Rev.  George  Drach 

Rev.  James  Endicott,  D.D. 

Prof.  Daniel  J.  Fleming,  Ph.D. 

Miss  Margaret  E.  Hodge 
President  Henry  C.  King,  D.D. 
Prof.  Walter  L.  Lingle,  D.D. 

Right  Rev.  Arthur  S.  Lloyd,  D.D. 
Rev.  R.  P.  Mackay,  D.D. 

Pres.  W.  Douglas  Mackenzie,  D.D. 


Prof.  Paul  Monroe,  Ph.D. 

John  R.  Mott,  LL.D. 

Rev.  Frank  Mason  North,  D.D. 
Principal  T.  R.  O’Meara,  D.D. 
Pres.  C.  T.  Paul,  Ph.D. 

Rev.  Joseph  C.  Robbins,  D.D. 
Prof.  Henry  B.  Robins,  Ph.D. 
Prof.  T.  H.  P.  Sailer,  Ph.D. 

Miss  Una  M.  Saunders 
Prof.  E.  D.  Soper,  D.D. 

Robert  E.  Speer,  D.D. 

Pres.  J.  Ross  Stevenson,  D.D. 
Fennell  P.  Turner 
J.  G.  Vaughan,  M.D. 

Prof.  Addie  Grace  Wardle,  Ph.D. 
Rev.  Charles  R.  Watson,  D.D. 
Rev.  Stanley  White,  D.D. 

Pres.  Wilbert  W.  White,  Ph.D. 


W.  DOUGLAS  MACKENZIE,  D.D.,  Chairman 

REV.  WILLIAM  I.  CHAMBERLAIN,  Ph.D.,  Vice-Chairman 

FENNELL  P.  TURNER,  Secretary 

REV.  FRANK  K.  SANDERS,  Ph.D.,  Director 
25  Madison  Avenue,  New  York 


PREFACE 


At  a meeting  of  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Board 
of  Missionary  Preparation,  held  on  June  7,  1917,  it  was  de- 
cided to  appoint  a committee  to  investigate  the  need  for  the 
special  training  of  missionaries  along  lines  other  than  those 
of  the  usual  theological  and  medical  training. 

This  committee  began  its  work  by  preparing  a statement 
regarding  specialized  training  for  missionaries  along  the 
lines  indicated  which  summed  up  the  main  features  of  the 
situation,  outlined  the  principal  difficulties  that  had  been 
met  in  previous  attempts  to  deal  with  it,  and  made  some  con- 
structive suggestions.  This  statement  met  with  almost 
unanimous  approval  and  has  been  incorporated  in  substance 
in  this  report.  A questionnaire  was  also  prepared  and  sent 
with  the  statement  to  a list  of  about  four  hundred  and  fifty 
missionaries  selected  by  the  leading  Boards  of  North  Amer- 
ica, as  well  as  to  Board  secretaries  and  to  a few  others.  One 
hundred  and  sixty-seven  replies  were  received,  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  of  them  from  missionaries.  The  latter 
constituted  so  representative  a list  that  it  may  be  fairly  as- 
serted that  their  opinions  reflected  the  sober  judgment  of 
the  entire  missionary  force.  Fourteen  replies  were  from 
Board  secretaries,  a few  other  secretaries  stating  that  they 
had  no  further  suggestions  to  make;  five  replies  were  from 
bishops;  two  more  came  from  those  who  were  practically 
field  bishops  in  non-Episcopal  churches;  forty-four  were 
from  men  and  three  from  women  in  evangelistic  or  general 
work;  fifty-nine  were  from  men  and  twenty-eight  from 
women  in  educational  activity;  while  four  were  from  those 
in  industrial  and  two  from  those  in  kindergarten  work;  four 
were  from  medical  workers;  two  fell  under  none  of  these 
classifications. 


PREFACE 


On  the  basis  of  a careful  study  of  the  replies,  a prelimi- 
nary report  of  seventy  pages  was  printed  and  circulated 
among  delegates  appointed  to  attend  a conference  held  at  25 
Madison  Avenue,  New  York  City,  on  February  26,  1919. 
At  this  conference  some  eighty  persons  were  present,  in- 
cluding Board  secretaries,  missionaries  on  furlough,  and 
others  especially  interested  in  missionary  training.  Fresh 
testimony  and  comment  were  offered,  the  report  was  dis- 
cussed in  detail,  and  findings  were  drawn  up  by  a committee 
appointed  for  that  purpose.  Through  a verbatim  report  of 
the  proceedings  of  the  conference,  its  suggestions  have  been 
available  for  the  careful  revision  of  the  report. 

It  is  hoped  by  the  committee  that  the  problems  herein 
raised  will  be  discussed  further  at  the  great  missionary  gath- 
ering places  in  Japan,  China,  India  and  elsewhere.  Con- 
structive suggestions  from  such  sources  or  from  any  source 
will  be  welcomed  and  made  the  basis  of  further  attempts  to 
formulate  the  policy  which  should  be  adopted. 

Frank  K.  Sanders, 

Director  of  the  Board  of  Missionary  Preparation. 

April,  1920. 


IV 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

I.  Introductory  3 

1.  The  meaning  of  specialization  as  used  in  this  report 3 

II.  The  Situation  Confronted  by  Mission  Boards  and  Can- 
didates   7 

1.  The  trend  toward  specialization  in  the  past 7 

2.  The  situation  as  it  exists  today 9 

(a)  The  tendency  toward  specialization  of  knowledge 

along  every  line  9 

(b)  The  reflection  of  this  tendency  in  the  training  of 

candidates  10 

(c)  The  similar  tendency  in  the  non-Christian  world. . . 11 

(d)  The  greatly  increasing  demand  of  the  missionary 

enterprise  for  specialization  12 

3.  The  demands  created  by  this  situation 14 

III.  The  Situation  as  Outlined  by  Direct  Testimony  from 

THE  Mission  Field  15 

1.  Statements  regarding  the  need  for  specialization  on  the 

field  15 

2.  Statements  relating  to  the  difficulties  which  arise  in  the 

use  of  workers  with  special  training. 26 

3.  Statements  concerning  the  training  of  missionary  candi- 

dates who  anticipate  specialization  on  the  field 38 

IV.  The  Administrative  Problems  Involved^  as  Viewed  on 

THE  Field  and  at  the  Home  Base 45 

1.  Statements  relating  to  the  process  of  selecting  candidates 

with  special  training  45 

2.  Statements  relating  to  adjustments  on  the  field  making 

the  use  of  such  candidates  more  general 48 

3.  Statements  relating  to  administrative  methods  at  the  home 

base , 55 


1 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 


V.  The  Case  for  Specialization 56 

1.  Certain  current  but  erroneous  opinions 56 

2.  General  principles  which  must  always  be  kept  in  mind ....  60 

3.  Constructive  suggestions  for  the  consideration  of  candi- 

dates who  have  had  specialized  training 61 

4.  Constructive  suggestions  for  the  consideration  of  missions 

in  the  field  66 

5.  Constructive  suggestions  for  the  consideration  of  the  mis- 

sion Boards  of  North  America 68 


2 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 
ALONG  LINES  OTHER  THAN  THOSE  OF 
THE  USUAL  THEOLOGICAL  AND  MEDICAL 
TRAINING 


I.  Introductory 

1.  The  Meaning  of  Specialization  as  Used  in  This  Report 

According  to  a broad  definition  of  specialization,  every 
missionary  is  a specialist  who  through  study  and  practice 
has  attained  such  proficiency  in  some  form  of  missionary 
activity  as  to  be  able  to  lead  constructively  in  that  activity. 
The  problem  discussed  in  this  report  must  be  stated  some- 
what more  narrowly.  Admitting  the  primary  importance  of 
evangelistic  work  in  the  missionary  enterprise,  and  the  gen- 
erally recognized  desirability  of  special  training  in  theology 
and  medicine,  to  what  extent  do  we  need  missionaries  who 
through  special  training  have  attained  proficiency  and  abil- 
ity to  lead  constructively  along  other  than  these  two  lines? 
Any  absence  of  reference  to  the  more  usual  forms  of  mis- 
sionary work  is  to  be  explained  by  the  fact  that  the  report 
confines  itself  to  phases  of  special  training  that  are  in  debate. 

It  must  further  be  kept  in  mind  that  specialization  and 
special  training  are  rather  elastic  terms  which  have  different 
meanings  at  different  stages  of  education  and  are  manifestly 
used  by  many  correspondents  in  different  senses.  Many  of 
the  objections  raised  to  special  training  seem  to  refer  to  only 
one  of  these  senses  and  not  to  be  equally  valid  against  others. 

In  the  first  place,  all  training  which  imparts  specific  skill 
is  in  a sense  special  training.  A skilled  laborer  or  artisan 
is  a specially  trained  worker,  although  he  would  not  be  called 
a specialist.  Trained  printers,  bookkeepers,  business  man- 
agers, or  architects,  while  extremely  useful  in  promoting 


3 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


efficiency  and  in  the  relief  of  missionaries  from  burdensome 
tasks,  have  sometimes  had  insufficient  general  training  to 
enable  them  to  take  effective  part  in  evangelistic  work  or  to 
exert  a large  influence  in  a mission.  For  the  sake  of  clear- 
ness, this  type  of  specialization  may  be  called  “special  skill,” 
and  those  whose  training  consists  mainly  or  exclusively  of 
this  type,  “skilled  helpers.” 

College  training  is  said  to  be  specialized  when  it  is  grouped 
around  some  major  subject,  but  again  the  word  specialist  is 
hardly  in  place.  The  yet  greater  concentration  of  most  post- 
graduate work  is  surely  specialization  compared  with  colle- 
giate experience,  but  it  does  not  earn  the  title  of  specialist 
unless  it  has  resulted  in  very  specific  and  advanced  mastery. 
This  type  of  training  might  be  called  “college”  or  “univer- 
sity” specialization. 

Thirdly,  we  often  recognize  a distinctively  professional 
training,  hitherto  not  largely  represented  on  the  foreign  field 
outside  of  theology  or  medicine  by  work  of  postgraduate 
grade.  Professional  standards  for  teachers,  nurses,  social 
science  workers,  and  other  types  needed  on  the  foreign  field, 
are  yet  to  be  definitely  established.  In  practice  they  have 
been  much  less  exacting  than  the  standards  enforced  for  or- 
dained and  medical  men. 

Finally,  there  is  a professional  “specialization”  as  opposed 
to  the  more  general  training  in  medicine,  theology,  educa- 
tion, or  other  fields.  In  our  modern,  complex  life  the  word 
“specialist”  conveys  to  many  minds  the  idea  of  the  worker 
who,  for  the  sake  of  very  intensive  study,  has  concentrated 
on  a very  restricted  field. 

It  is  obvious  that  while  each  of  these  four  types  may  be 
termed  special  training,  or  even  specialization,  many  con- 
siderations that  are  perfectly  valid  for  one  or  more  may  not 
be  so  for  the  others.  In  discussing  the  need  of  missionaries 
with  special  training  on  the  foreign  field,  therefore,  we  must 
remember  that  many  factors  enter  into  the  problem.  Con- 


4 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


ditions  in  fields  differ  widely,  so  that  what  is  true  for  one 
area  is  not  at  all  true  for  another.  The  great  metropolitan 
centers  of  the  non-Christian  world  are  by  many  stages  more 
advanced  in  development  than  some  of  the  remote  country 
districts.  The  pioneer  worker  will  find  special  training  use- 
ful, but  he  must  usually  combine  several  types.  Where 
larger  groups  of  missionaries  are  associated  it  is  more  eco- 
nomical to  set  aside  certain  individuals  for  specialized 
activity. 

The  value  of  special  training  will  depend  largely  on  the 
basis  upon  which  it  rests,  on  the  breadth  of  its  relationships, 
and  on  the  personal  qualities  of  the  man  receiving  it.  Skilled 
helpers,  such  as  printers  or  stenographers,  who  go  to  assist 
others,  may  not  require  college  degrees;  but  for  the  other 
types  of  specialization  a broad  basis  of  liberal  culture  is 
even  more  important  on  the  mission  field  than  at  home.  The 
subjects  studied  for  mastery  should  have  many  human  rela- 
tionships and  practical  applications.  Fine  personal  qualities, 
such  as  a genuine  missionary  spirit,  ready  adaptability,  gen- 
eral efficiency,  and  skill  in  leadership  are  quite  essential.  The 
desirableness  of  special  training  has  often  been  obscured  by 
these  other  factors.  Such  training  has  been  adjudged  as 
worthless,  when  the  real  trouble  was  that  some  particular 
type  of  training  was  ill  chosen  or  was  associated  with  per- 
sonal characteristics  that  would  have  wrecked  any  mission- 
ary career.  No  sane  thinker  claims  that  specialization  is  a 
universal  solvent  of  difficulties.  Special  training  is  only  one 
factor  in  efficiency,  although  an  important  one.  Fields  that 
may  be  quite  ready  for  one  of  these  grades  of  specialization 
may  not  yet  present  a demand  for  others.  The  real  ques- 
tion is  what  sort  of  special  training,  administered  to  the 
right  sort  of  men  and  women,  will  make  for  the  maximum 
of  efficiency. 

A second  possible  occasion  for  confusion  lies  in  uncer- 
tainty as  to  the  breadth  of  the  individual  specialist.  To  some 


5 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


persons  the  word  “specialization”  suggests  mainly  something 
positive — what  a man  does  know,  efficiency  in  some  particu- 
lar line  which  may  range  from  artisan  skill  to  a highly  tech- 
nical mastery  of  the  best  ideas  and  processes  that  frees  one 
from  the  necessity  of  muddling  along  by  a trial  and  error 
method — all  this  whether  the  specialty  constitutes  the  whole 
of  the  worker’s  equipment  or  only  a small  fraction  of  it.  To 
others  the  term  “specialization”  calls  up  mainly  something 
negative — a concentration  to  the  exclusion  of  other  activi- 
ties on  a limited  field.  For  such  specialists — workers  with 
only  one  line  of  efficiency — there  is,  undoubtedly,  a very  slight 
demand  from  mission  fields  that  are  understaffed.  It  should 
always  be  clear  in  each  instance  just  how  far  an  objection 
to  specialization  is  based  on  the  assumption  that  a specialist 
is  good  for  nothing  else. 

In  the  third  place,  there  is  an  unfortunate  tendency  to  set 
special  training  over  against  native  ability,  as  if  there  were 
any  necessary  opposition  between  the  two.  When  an  indi- 
vidual has  no  specialty,  his  native  ability  may  be  more  obvi- 
ous ; but  it  does  not  follow  that  the  possession  of  ability  ren- 
ders training  undesirable.  In  cases  where  training  seems 
to  have  destroyed  originality  and  spontaneousness,  these 
qualities  were  probably  lacking  in  the  first  place.  An  un- 
trained man,  who  by  sheer  native  gifts  succeeds  better  in 
some  line  than  others  who  have  had  training,  would  proba- 
bly have  surpassed  them  still  more  if  he  had  enjoyed  their 
advantages.  The  real  point  at  issue  is  not  which  we  would 
prefer,  ability  or  training,  although  some  seem  to  take  this 
viewpoint.  It  may  be  open  to  discussion  whether  or  not 
Boards  should  sometimes  accept  special  training  in  candi- 
dates as  a substitute  for  native  ability,  whether  or  not  cer- 
tain types  of  special  training  have  the  effect  of  narrowing 
the  worker’s  interests,  whether  or  not  persons  of  high  grade 
may  dispense  with  certain  forms  of  special  training.  With- 
out question,  many  kinds  of  efficient  specialization  on  the 


6 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


field  are  quite  impossible  without  special  training  at  home, 
while  other  kinds  are  mastered  on  the  field  only  by  a dispro- 
portionate expenditure  of  time  and  energy.  In  any  event, 
no  one  contends  for  special  training  except  as  based  upon 
an  adequate  amount  of  native  ability. 

As  occasionally  used,  specialization  is  a relative  term.  In 
former  days  the  missionary  with  a general  college  education 
was,  as  compared  with  the  great  mass  of  Orientals  that  he 
met,  an  advanced  specialist  in  many  lines.  He  could  aston- 
ish them  by  elementary  experiments  in  chemistry  or  physics, 
could  pose  as  an  oracle  on  the  subject  of  the  outside  world, 
and  on  his  own  ground  could  put  to  shame  their  most  learned 
men.  He  owed  much  of  his  influence  to  this  fact.  The 
question  as  it  presents  itself  today  is,  therefore,  not  whether 
special  training  shall  be  introduced  as  a new  factor  in  the 
missionary  enterprise,  but  whether  the  missionary  forces 
under  existing  conditions  shall  gradually  cease  to  be  leaders 
of  non-Christian  society  in  subjects  other  than  theology  or 
medicine. 


II.  The  Situation  Confronted  by  Mission  Boards  and 

Candidates 

1.  The  Trend  Toward  Specialisation  in  the  Past 

The  modern  missionary  enterprise  began  as  an  undertak- 
ing of  the  pioneer  type,  requiring  adaptation  to  strange  and 
unforeseen  conditions  at  a time  when  specialized  academic 
training  in  the  home  lands  was  in  a very  elementary  stage 
of  development.  The  men  who  volunteered  for  such  a work, 
expecting  to  be  thrown  on  their  own  resources  far  from 
their  base  of  supplies,  were  apt  to  be  self-reliant  and  indi- 
vidualistic in  nature  and  not  of  the  temperament  that  we 
associate  with  a specialist.  Yet  even  in  those  days  the  great 
leaders  had  decidedly  specialized  training.  Carey  in  his  cob- 

Z 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


bier  shop  laid  the  foundations  that  made  him  one  of  the 
most  learned  linguists  of  his  age  and  secured  his  election  in 
later  life  to  several  scientific  societies  in  London.  His  use- 
fulness on  the  field  was  greatly  increased  by  the  fact  that 
the  two  other  members  of  the  famous  Serampore  triad  were 
both  specialists,  Marshman  in  the  educational  methods  of 
the  day,  and  Ward  as  a printer.  The  general  training  re- 
ceived by  many  candidates  today  would  have  been  a poor 
substitute  for  that  which  these  three  men  possessed.  Robert 
Morrison  supplemented  his  course  in  a missionary  training 
college  by  work  in  London  hospitals  and  at  an  astronomical 
observatory.  His  patient  study  of  a Chinese  manuscript  in 
the  British  Museum  made  him  later  in  life  the  official  trans- 
lator of  the  East  India  Company,  and  the  author,  under  its 
patronage,  of  a monumental  Chinese  dictionary.  Alexander 
Duff,  although  first  student  of  his  class  at  St.  Andrew’s,  not 
only  made  before  sailing  a study  of  the  pedagogical  methods 
of  David  Stow  and  an  inspection  of  the  first  teacher  train- 
ing school  of  Scotland,  but  spent  a large  part  of  the  leisure 
of  his  first  four-year  stay  at  home  in  a study  of  all  educa- 
tional improvements  in  schools  and  colleges  made  during 
his  absence  in  India.  “David  Livingstone,”  says  Blaikie, 
“devoted  himself  with  special  ardor  to  medical  and  scientific 
study,”  and  on  the  voyage  out  frequently  sat  up  late  at  night 
with  the  captain  of  the  ship  to  learn  how  to  take  lunar  ob- 
servations. The  accuracy  of  this  specialized  preparation 
gave  him  an  opportunity  that  would  otherwise  have  been  im- 
possible. Alexander  Mackay  held  an  expert  position  as  an 
engineer  in  Berlin  when  he  offered  his  services  to  the  Church 
Missionary  Society  for  Central  Africa.  A monograph  might 
well  be  prepared  on  the  contributions  of  specialized  training 
to  the  missionary  enterprise. 

While  missionary  Societies  from  the  earliest  days  have 
sent  out  teachers,  printers,  and  even  artisans,  the  first  form 
of  special  training  to  become  standardized  was  naturally  the 


8 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


theological,  and  this  is  still  recommended  to  a large  majority 
of  men  candidates.  Some  training  along  this  line,  though 
not  always  necessarily  in  a special  school,  should  form  a 
part  of  the  preparation  of  every  missionary.  Later  a thor- 
ough training  was  also  recognized  as  necessary  for  those 
who  take  up  medical  work.  The  standards  of  specialized 
training  in  other  lines  are  in  general  both  less  definite  and 
less  exacting.  The  present  situation  at  home  and  on  the 
foreign  field  seems  to  render  desirable  an  investigation  of 
the  needs  and  conditions  of  etfective  specialization  along 
lines  other  than  those  of  the  usual  theological  and  medical 
training. 

2.  The  Situation  as  it  Exists  Today 

(a)  The  Tendency  toward  Specialisation  of  Knowledge 
Along  Every  Line. — A striking  feature  of  late  in  regard 
to  all  forms  of  work  and  the  education  leading  to  them  is 
their  increasing  specialization.  Knowledge  has  multiplied 
out  of  all  comparison  with  other  periods  in  the  world’s  his- 
tory. During  the  past  century  experimental  science  has  ac- 
quired undreamed  of  insight  into  the  properties  of  matter 
and  methods  for  its  control.  The  massing  of  population  in 
the  great  cities  and  the  development  of  communication  have 
resulted  in  a society  of  an  altogether  new  type  of  complexity. 
Social  needs  have  stimulated  investigation  and  investigation 
has  hastened  development.  The  mere  bulk  of  accumulated 
knowledge  has  made  selection  increasingly  necessary.  Mere 
common-sense  will  not  carry  a man  as  far  as  it  once  would. 
Moreover,  as  our  social  system  grows  in  complexity  the  po- 
sitions holding  out  employment  are  steadily  demanding  some 
specialized  training. 

The  result  is  that  the  college  curriculum  today  is  much 
more  detailed  and  specialized  than  that  of  a generation  ago. 
Where  a school  professor  offered  three  or  four  general 
courses,  we  have  now  a group  of  professors  and  instructors 


9 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


whose  electives  cover  pages  of  the  catalog.  Thirty  years 
ago  most  students  received  an  education  heavily  ballasted 
with  classics  and  mathematics,  together  with  brief  courses 
introductory  to  a dozen  or  more  of  the  principal  fields  of 
knowledge.  Such  a training  did  not  tend  to  develop  special- 
ized tastes.  The  sons  and  daughters  of  those  students  are 
in  most  cases  now  advised  or  even  compelled  to  group  their 
electives,  and  are  therefore  much  more  likely  to  acquire 
interest  in  the  more  advanced  phases  of  their  subjects. 

The  earlier  type  of  education  found  support  in  the  theory 
that  the  best  instruments  for  training  were  the  so-called  dis- 
ciplinary subjects,  which  consequently  filled  a large  part  of 
the  curriculum.  This  theory  has  been  severely  attacked. 
Even  if  friends  of  the  traditional  subjects  have  shown  that 
some  of  the  charges  against  them  are  exaggerated,  it  must 
be  admitted  that  on  the  whole  they  have  lost  ground  and 
that  claims  once  made  for  them  are  considerably  discredited. 
The  trend  today  is  toward  subjects  that  have  a specific  bear- 
ing on  the  needs  of  life.  Increasing  pressure  is  being  put 
on  education  to  make  it  contribute  to  all  types  of  efficiency. 

(b)  The  Reflection  of  This  Tendency  in  the  Training  of 
Candidates. — We  must  expect  to  find  these  tendencies  re- 
flected in  the  character  of  the  training  of  the  candidates  who 
offer  themselves  to  missionary  Boards.  A very  much  larger 
proportion  than  formerly  are  passing  through  institutions 
whose  curricula  are  of  this  more  specialized  type.  They 
need  to  choose  between  various  electives,  and  are  sometimes 
asking  for  advice.  Probably  a majority  of  these  candidates 
make  their  decisions  late,  or  delay  their  applications  until 
near  the  close  of  their  courses,  when  they  have  already  re- 
ceived an  education  in  some  cases  quite  specialized. 

It  must  be  recognized  that  this  kind  of  education  attracts 
some  of  the  best  types  of  young  people.  They  are  deeply 
interested  by  their  chosen  subjects  and  desire  to  devote  their 
special  abilities  and  training  to  the  missionary  enterprise. 


10 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


They  are  strongly  attracted  by  proposals  for  concrete  types 
of  service  and  sometimes  will  not  volunteer  for  general  work 
for  which  they  feel  themselves  not  so  well  fitted.  They  may 
consider  that  the  training  they  have,  apparently  in  some 
cases  providentially,  received,  constitutes  an  element  in  de- 
termining whether  they  are  called  to  the  mission  field.  In- 
ability on  the  part  of  a Board  to  utilize  such  training  may 
be  regarded  as  an  indication  to  turn  elsewhere.  When  we 
remember  that  Mackay  of  Uganda  was  aroused  by  the  ap- 
peal of  the  Church  Missionary  Society  for  a worker  with 
engineering  ability,  we  shall  do  well  not  to  disparage  the 
motives  of  these  young  people,  but  seek  to  make  it  possible  to 
take  advantage  of  their  services. 

(c)  The  Similar  Tendency  toward  Specialization  in  the 
non-Christian  World. — In  the  non-Christian  world  this  ten- 
dency toward  specialization  is  not  yet  nearly  so  marked. 
But  while  conditions  vary  greatly  in  different  places,  the 
drift  is  fairly  in  this  direction.  Modern  efficiency  is  seen 
everywhere  to  depend  upon  a thorough  mastery  of  definite 
lines  of  study,  hence  Oriental  students  are  coming  to  Amer- 
ica and  Europe  with  the  purpose  of  securing  specialized 
training.  These  students  on  their  return  will  gradually  cre- 
ate a different  atmosphere  for  the  missionary  enterprise. 
The  old  traditions  are  passing  away  in  every  land  and  a new 
social  order  is  building  up,  which  appreciates  the  more  spe- 
cialized products  of  the  West.  As  mentioned  above,  the  mis- 
sionary with  a college  education  was  formerly  far  ahead  of 
any  natives  he  was  likely  to  meet.  This  in  many  fields  is 
no  longer  the  case.  In  Japan  in  particular  the  leading  Chris- 
tian scholars  are  by  no  means  all  missionaries.  It  follows 
that  the  missionary  who  would  retain  for  the  Christian  en- 
terprise a real  leadership  in  competition  with  the  developing 
standards  of  efficiency  along  many  lines  must  have  a more 
specific  and  thorough  training  than  the  majority  of  those 
who  have  gone  out  in  the  past. 


11 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


(d)  The  Greatly  Increasing  Demand  of  the  Missionary 
Enterprise  for  Specialisation. — As  the  work  of  foreign  mis- 
sions continues  to  grow,  it  is  natural  that  it  should  become 
more  specialized.  In  this  it  will  only  follow  the  course  of 
events  all  over  the  world.  Efficiency  in  organization  means 
distribution  of  functions.  In  the  early  days  of  missions  the 
individual  in  most  cases  needed  to  be  a self-sufficing  unit.  He 
expected  to  be  alone  much  of  the  time  and  to  be  thrown  en- 
tirely on  his  own  resources.  The  ideal  training  was  that 
which  fitted  him  for  all  emergencies.  Later  on,  when  mis- 
sionaries became  associated  in  groups,  the  station  became 
the  natural  unit  of  efficient  administration.  Differentiated 
training  became  desirable.  It  seemed  unnecessary,  for  in- 
stance, that  every  missionary  should  spend  years  in  the  study 
of  Hebrew  and  Greek,  if,  in  consequence,  other  important 
lines  of  training  had  to  be  neglected.  A few  scholarly  theo- 
logians could  meet  the  real  needs  of  each  mission,  while 
others  became  educators  or  medical  men.  In  the  modern 
era  of  mission  organization,  when  dozens  or  scores  of  mis- 
sionaries are  often  found  in  a single  city,  and  where  their 
Boards  heartily  unite  in  supporting  large  institutions,  spe- 
cialization may  wisely  be  carried  yet  further.  Under  such 
conditions  workers  with  special  training  may  well  be  set 
free  to  study  some  of  the  great  common  missionary  prob- 
lems, communicatilig  their  conclusions  to  those  who  have 
not  had  the  time  nor  the  preparation  required  for  such  in- 
vestigations. It  is  manifestly  desirable  that  specialists  of 
this  type  should  be  laboring  on  behalf  of  the  entire  body  of 
missionaries  in  a district  area,  working  with  the  approval  of 
all  on  specific  tasks  of  common  interest.  In  sections  where 
this  stage  of  development  has  not  been  reached  such  a policy 
is  obviously  impracticable;  but  even  under  such  circum- 
stances missionaries  in  the  past  have  rendered  good  service 
by  bringing  to  bear  some  form  of  special  experience  on  par- 
ticular problems. 


12 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


Quite  apart  from  the  organization  and  management  of 
missionary  work,  there  is  increased  need  for  specialization 
on  the  field.  The  missionary  enterprise  is  touching  life  at 
many  more  points  than  in  early  days.  Then  its  main  con- 
cern was  to  detach  individuals  from  a society  which  showed 
itself  hostile  and  impervious  to  influence.  Now  in  many 
places  non-Christian  society  is  willing  and  even  desirous  to 
learn.  Missionaries  have  an  opportunity  to  help  in  the  so- 
lution of  social  and  economic  problems  from  which  they  were 
formerly  barred.  Types  of  training  that  would  have  found 
no  exercise  fifty  years  ago,  even  if  they  had  been  available, 
now  have  ample  opportunity.  Masses  of  people  have  gotten 
over  their  suspicion  of  Western  ways  and  are  glad  to  take 
advantage  of  its  specialized  knowledge  and  skill. 

It  may  be  noted  as  an  exception  to  this  statement  that 
men  like  Verbeck  in  Japan,  Duff  in  India,  and  Martin  in 
China  were  able  powerfully  to  influence  government  admin- 
istration or  education.  But  this  was  surely  due  to  the  fact 
that  their  training  qualified  them  to  give  competent  advice 
on  special  subjects.  In  view  of  standards  which  are  increas- 
ingly professional  and  technical,  missionaries  can  no  longer 
hope  to  exert  a similar  influence  unless  their  training  is  of 
the  most  thorough  kind. 

In  the  third  place,  the  constituency  with  which  mission- 
aries work  is  changing  in  character.  At  first,  not  many 
wise,  not  many  mighty,  were  called,  and  much  of  the  feed- 
ing was  with  milk  rather  than  with  meat.  Today  there  is 
far  greater  access  to  the  educated  classes,  some  of  whom 
are  distinctly  up  to  date  in  their  ideas.  These  natural  lead- 
ers will  demand  a more  advanced  and  detailed  training  and 
a more  able  leadership,  both  native  and  foreign,  than  that 
which  satisfied  most  of  the  early  type  of  converts.  More- 
over, much  of  the  routine  work  once  done  by  missionaries 
can  now  be  turned  over  to  national  workers.  For  all  these 


13 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


reasons  a missionary  leader  of  the  future  needs  to  have  the 
most  efficient  type  of  training. 

It  is  not  to  be  denied  that  an  absolutely  indispensable  part 
of  the  training  of  any  first-rate  missionary  is  acquired  only 
in  doing  the  actual  work  of  his  field.  On  the  other  hand, 
there  is  a great  and  growing  need  for  capacities  that  can- 
not be  picked  up  in  this  way.  The  suggestion  that  some  por- 
tion of  the  training  of  the  medical  or  educational  missionary 
may  profitably  be  gained  in  the  hospitals  or  the  teacher  train- 
ing schools  of  India  or  the  Far  East  is  not  an  argument 
against  special  training,  but  the  contrary.  The  value  of  such 
experience  would  depend  largely  upon  the  standards  of  the 
hospitals  or  schools.  Speaking  generally,  the  facilities  for 
attaining  the  specialization  needed  on  the  mission  field  will 
be  far  better  at  the  home  base  for  many  years  to  come. 

3.  The  Demands  created  by  this  Situation 

The  situation  is  evidently  one  which  calls  for  careful 
consideration  and  adjustment  by  missions.  Boards  and 
missionary  candidates.  If  both  the  demands  for  specialized 
training  on  the  field  and  the  supply  of  it  at  the  home  base 
must  inevitably  increase,  it  is  sheer  waste  to  neglect  meas- 
ures that  will  help  the  latter  to  minister  most  effectively  to 
the  former.  The  missions  must  study  their  needs,  frame 
policies,  and  make  these  known  to  the  Boards  as  long  as 
possible  in  advance,  must  devise  administrative  methods  for 
utilizing  special  training  to  the  best  advantage,  and  think 
their  way  around  the  obvious  difficulties  presented.  The 
Boards  must  take  more  seriously  their  responsibilities  for 
meeting  the  rising  standards  of  preparation  required  by  the 
field  and  for  making  the  best  use  of  the  talents  of  those  who 
offer  themselves.  They  must  come  into  closer  touch  with 
both  by  the  study  of  the  field  and  a wiser  supervision  of  the 
training  of  candidates.  They  must  work  toward  methods 


14 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


for  the  better  selection  and  placing  of  specialized  workers. 
They  must  give  more  thought  to  supplementary  missionary 
training  during  furloughs.  Candidates  for  service  in  the 
foreign  field  should  be  given,  as  early  as  may  be  practicable, 
an  idea  of  the  demands  of  their  probable  field  for  special 
service,  in  order  that  they  may  shape  their  college  and  pro- 
fessional training  with  a view  to  becoming  fitted  at  some 
time  for  the  form  of  such  service  which  strongly  appeals  to 
them.  Such  a program  as  the  above  will  assuredly  strike 
some  well-known  snags  and  discover  some  new  ones.  But 
it  nevertheless  seems  impossible  to  delay  the  dredging  of  this 
channel  any  longer. 

III.  The  Situation  as  Outlined  by  Direct  Testimony 
FROM  THE  Mission  Field 

The  court  of  last  resort  on  questions  relating  to  efficiency 
in  the  mission  field  must  be  the  field  itself.  The  following 
presentation  aims  to  bring  out  with  clearness  the  current 
judgments  of  our  missionaries  regarding  questions  of  spe- 
cialization, submitted  to  them  in  the  questionnaire  to  which 
reference  is  made  in  the  preface. 

1.  Statements  Regarding  the  Need  for  Specialisation 

on  the  Field 

Question  1.  Are  there  in  your  field  any  opportunities  for  promoting 
the  missionary  enterprise  of  which  you  are  unable  to  take  ad- 
vantage on  account  of  lack  of  workers  with  sufficiently  special- 
ized training?  Give  specifications. 

Question  2.  What  types  of  special  training  are  most  needed  in  your 
field? 

One  hundred  and  forty-three  correspondents  furnished 
six  hundred  and  sixty-seven  separate  specifications  in  answer 
to  these  two  questions  and  under  the  head  of  “additional 
comments.”  Of  the  remaining  correspondents  five  denied 


15 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


the  need  of  workers  with  special  training,  and  three  ignored 
these  questions.  Those  who  replied  to  question  one  fur- 
nished three  hundred  and  fifty-seven  specifications.  Ques- 
tion two,  which  was  somewhat  broader  in  scope,  was  not 
answered  separately  by  a number  of  correspondents,  who 
evidently  did  not  discriminate  between  the  questions.  It, 
with  the  final  request  for  general  comments,  drew  out  three 
hundred  and  ten  additional  items  not  included  by  the  same 
correspondents  under  question  one.  The  answers  to  ques- 
tion one  naturally  tended  to  present  more  specific  needs, 
while  those  to  question  two  were  more  general  in  character. 
A need  mentioned  under  question  one  was  apt  to  be  one 
more  acutely  felt;  a need  mentioned  under  question  two  was 
one  that  was  already  more  or  less  efficiently  met. 

The  complete  table  is  as  follows.  Items  mentioned  in  re- 
ply to  the  first  question  are  not  repeated  in  the  tabulation 
under  question  two.  A few  of  the  specifications  may  not 
have  been  correctly  interpreted. 


Types  of  Trained  Workers 

Educational 

Under 

Under 

Asked  for 

Question  1 

Question  2 

Totals 

Industrial  

42 

23 

65 

General  

31 

24 

55 

Agricultural  

34 

15 

49 

Kindergarten  

29 

14 

43 

Normal  

16 

18 

34 

College  

4 

16 

20 

Secondary  

5 

12 

17 

Theological  

5 

10 

15 

Supervision  

9 

4 

13 

Primary  

5 

6 

11 

Religious  

1 

10 

11 

Technical  

4 

4 

Educational  Administration 

2 

1 

3 

Training  of  Bible  Women. 

1 

1 

2 

University  Extension  

2 

2 

Total  Educational  . . . . 

190 

154 

344 

16 


THE  specialized  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


Teaching  of  Science  

...  10 

9 

19 

English  

...  9 

4 

13 

Domestic  Science  . . . 

...10 

3 

13 

Music 

...10 

2 

12 

Commerce  

...  8 

1 

9 

Manual  Training  . . . , 

...  3 

4 

7 

Physical  Training  . . , 

...  2 

1 

3 

History  

...  1 

1 

Civics  

1 

1 

Sociology 

1 

1 

Totals  

...  53—243 

26—180 

79—423 

Medical 


Types  of  Trained  Workers 

Under 

Under 

Asked  for 

Question  1 

Question  2 

Totals 

General  

15 

17 

32 

Doctors  

5 

10 

15 

Nurses  

5 

10 

15 

Dentists  

3 

3 

Opticians  

1 

1 

Alienists  

1 

1 

Medical  School  

1 

1 

Totals  

26 

42 

Sunday-school  

Evangelistic 
4 

6 

10 

Non-Christian  Religions  and  Philoso- 
phies   4 

6 

10 

Work  with  Educated  Class. 

5 

5 

Bookkeeping  

1 

4 

5 

Bible  Teaching  

3 

1 

4 

Music 

3 

3 

Sociology 

1 

1 

2 

City  Work 

2 

2 

Arabic  Language  

2 

2 

Phonetics 

1 

1 

Sanitation  

1 

1 

Normal  Training 

1 

1 

General  Business  

1 

1 

— 

— 

— 

Totals  

22 

25 

54 

17 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


Social  Service 
Types  of  Trained  Workers  Under 

Under 

Asked  for 

Question  1 

Question  2 

Totals 

General  Training  

24 

8 

32 

Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  Y.  W.  C.  A.... 

9 

4 

13 

Institutional  Church  

6 

1 

7 

Sociological 

5 

5 

Boy  Scout  Work 

1 

1 

— 

— 

— 

Totals 

39 

19 

58 

Miscellaneous 

Business  Training  4 

15 

19 

Architects  

7 

8 

15 

Vernacular  Literature 

7 

3 

10 

Bookkeepers  

1 

8 

9 

Printers  

4 

4 

8 

Technical 

2 

1 

3 

Stenographers  

1 

2 

3 

Journalists  

1 

1 

Statisticians  

1 

1 

International  Law 

1 

1 

— 

— 

— 

Totals 

27 

43 

70 

Note  that  four  hundred  and  twenty-three  replies,  sixty- 
three  per  cent  of  the  whole,  relate  to  education,  with  twenty- 
five  separate  heads,  ten  of  these  relating  to  the  teaching  of 
special  subjects.  Sixty-eight  replies  relate  to  medicine,  but 
only  forty-seven  to  evangelism,  since  these  are  evidently  not 
regarded  by  many  correspondents  as  included  in  the  scope 
of  the  questionnaire.  Fifty-eight  replies  are  listed  under 
social  service  and  seventy  under  the  head  of  miscellaneous, 
relating  mostly  to  business  and  technical  training.  None  of 
the  headings  except  education  has  as  much  as  eleven  per 
cent  of  the  replies. 

Fair  inferences  from  the  data  would  seem  to  be  as  fol- 
lows : since  less  than  fifty-six  per  cent  of  the  correspondents 
are  in  educational  work  and  over  sixty-three  per  cent  of  the 


18 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


specifications  as  to  needs  fall  under  the  head  of  education, 
it  is  likely  that  education  presents  the  greatest  opening  on 
the  foreign  field  for  specialized  workers.  In  education  and 
social  service  the  specifications  under  question  one  are  more 
numerous  than  the  more  general  statements  under  question 
two,  indicating  that  the  lack  of  training  along  these  lines 
is  felt  to  be  more  serious.  Under  the  three  other  heads  the 
reverse  is  true. 

It  must  be  kept  in  mind  that  the  correspondents  repre- 
sent a very  wide  range  of  fields  and  circumstances.  We 
should  naturally  expect  their  replies  to  be  very  diverse.  Any 
marked  convergence  of  specifications  should  therefore  at- 
tract our  earnest  attention  as  probably  indicating  an  acute 
need  for  the  mission  field  as  a whole.  The  demand  for  in- 
dustrial education,  mentioned  by  nearly  one-half  of  our 
correspondents,  and  constituting  almost  one-tenth  of  the 
total  specifications,  is  therefore  very  striking.  Not  far  be- 
hind comes  agricultural  training,  the  two  together  amount- 
ing to  over  one-fourth  of  all  the  educational  demands. 
Whether  all  our  correspondents  recognize  the  difficulties  of 
these  forms  of  education  may  well  be  doubted,  but  they  pre- 
sent an  issue  that  should  command  much  greater  thought 
than  it  has  hitherto  received  from  Boards.  It  would  prob- 
ably be  an  excellent  policy  for  Boards  to  make  much  larger 
provision  for  attacking  this  problem,  both  by  sending  out 
missionaries  with  practical  experience  along  these  lines  and 
by  securing  the  advice  of  a few  leading  experts  on  the  larger 
aspects  of  the  question.  There  are  few  forms  of  education 
in  which  it  is  so  easy  to  go  astray  for  lack  of  a thorough 
knowledge  of  local  conditions. 

The  number  of  suggestions  of  the  need  of  general  edu- 
cational training  is  highly  significant.  Many  of  the  corre- 
spondents specify  that  educational  leaders  are  needed.  The 
need  for  normal  training  stands  fifth,  but  this  is  probably 
an  underestimation  of  the  real  importance  of  this  need. 


19 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


Especially  under  industrial,  agricultural  and  kindergarten 
training,  the  demands  under  question  one  are  considerably 
in  excess  of  those  under  question  two,  indicating  that  along 
these  lines  there  is  consciousness  of  a failure  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  actual  opportunities.  All  this  means  that  in  edu- 
cation the  demand  for  missionaries  with  special  training  is 
considerably  ahead  of  the  supply.  Boards  should  make  it 
understood  that  such  workers  are  needed,  and  should  see 
that  the  training  received  is  thorough  and  practical. 

There  is  evidently  a continual  pressure  of  need  for  medi- 
cal workers,  but  the  present  investigation  was  not  well 
adapted  to  secure  adequate  information  on  this  subject.  The 
requests  listed  under  evangelism  relate  partly  to  special 
forms  of  Christian  work  and  partly  to  other  desirable  forms 
of  training  for  evangelistic  workers.  Evidently  many  evan- 
gelistic workers  find  their  own  training  too  little  specialized. 
A large  majority  of  the  specifications  for  social  service  are 
under  question  one,  indicating  that  opportunities  are  actu- 
ally being  missed  for  lack  of  this  training. 

As  a whole  the  table  is  worth  study.  It  indicates  that  the 
following  types  of  specialization  are  necessary: 

1.  Skill  in  such  practical  matters  as  printing,  building, 
bookkeeping,  nursing,  business  management,  etc.,  which  in 
some  cases  may  demand  the  entire  time  of  workers  and  in 
others  constitute  part  time  employments  of  regular  mis- 
sionaries. 

2.  Sufficient  concentration  in  undergraduate  or  graduate 
work  or  in  special  schools  on  such  subjects  as  industrial  and 
agricultural  work,  kindergarten  training,  religious  educa- 
tion, social  service,  secretarial  service  in  the  Young  Men’s 
and  Young  Women’s  Christian  Associations,  sociology, 
science,  English,  commerce,  domestic  science,  music,  etc., 
as  will  prepare  for  teaching  these  subjects  on  the  field,  or 
will  fit  students  for  practical  service, 

3.  More  strictly  professional  work  in  medicine  and  in 


20 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


various  types  of  educational  preparation  as  well  as  in  some 
of  the  branches  mentioned  under  the  previous  head. 

4.  A few  specialists  in  the  narrower  sense  of  the  word  to 
teach  in  higher  educational  institutions  and  serve  on  the 
staffs  of  the  better-equipped  hospitals. 

Note  that  all  four  of  the  types  of  training  indicated  above 
on  pages  16-18  are  actually  called  for  by  our  correspondents. 
The  conference  at  New  York  brought  out  confirmatory  tes- 
timony on  this  subject.  Experienced  missionaries,  asked  to 
state  the  forms  of  special  training  in  their  opinion  needed 
on  the  field,  mentioned  nearly  all  of  those  in  the  preceding 
table,  and,  in  addition,  urged  the  need  of  physical  work  di- 
rection, public  health  education,  education  for  defectives, 
and  village  church  work. 

The  missionary  enterprise  will  miss  important  opportuni- 
ties, if  it  fails  to  enlist  workers  with  sufficient  training  along 
such  lines  as  these,  and  to  so  organize  its  field  administra- 
tion that  their  special  abilities  may  be  utilized. 

A number  of  typical  quotations  in  answer  to  the  question- 
naire follow: 

(a)  Disapproving  Specialization. 

“Very  few  such  opportunities  and  for  every  one  such  there  are  a 
score  of  opportunities  lost  which  could  be  utilized  by  regularly  trained 
workers.  ...  To  my  mind,  the  overwhelming  need  of  all  the  mission 
fields,  such  as  Qiina,  Japan,  and  Korea,  is  a force  of  workers  for  the 
regular  lines  of  evangelization.” 

“These  cocksure,  ‘perfect’  Western  standards,  born  out  of  ignorance 
and  the  inadaptabilitv  of  the  younger  specialized  educators,  some  of 
them,  and  tried  on  here  would  make  a man  of  any  experience  sick  at 
heart.  It  is  hard  enough  to  lead  the  Chinese  on  slowly  to  higher 
standards  in  education  and  all  else  without  antagonizing  them  and 
arousing  their  prejudices  by  the  unworkable,  cocksure,  ‘perfect,’  up-to- 
date  methods  of  specialists.  ...  We  are  here  to  build  up  a spiritual, 
indigenous  church.  We  cannot  get  it  by  ignoring  conditions  or  by 
developing  the  technique  of  pedagogy  or  medicine  or  anything  else.” 

“As  far  as  I can  see,  Japan  does  not  need  specialists  except  in  the- 


21 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


ology,  education,  and  sociology.  Everything  else  is  abundantly  pro- 
vided for  by  the  Japanese  themselves  in  their  schools.” 

(b)  Approving  Specialization. 

“Looking  at  the  future,  a missionary’s  usefulness  in  Japan  will  be 
largely  determined  by  his  or  her  ability  to  render  service  in  some  par- 
ticular line.” 

“I  am  heartily  in  favor  of  specialized  training,  especially  for  mis- 
sionaries to  Japan.  It  gives  a man  confidence  and  it  brings  with  it  a 
certain  amount  of  influence  which  a man  with  only  general  training 
does  not  have.” 

“Japan  is  fast  becoming  a nation  of  specialists  and  it  is  as  important 
that  the  missionary  know  his  task  thoroughly  and  well  if  he  is  to  suc- 
ceed in  the  estimate  of  his  people  as  it  is  for  him  to  know  his  work 
well  in  America.” 

“(a)  In  this  city  missionaries  have  failed  to  develop  strong,  well- 
organized  churches.  The  custom  seems  to  be  to  open  little  preaching 
places  with  inferior  Japanese  colleagues,  to  bring  these  up  to  the  place 
where  they  achieve  a precarious  independence,  and  then  turn  strug- 
gling infant  churches  over  to  second  or  third  rate  Japanese  pastors; 
and  again  go  out  and  repeat  the  performance.  The  result  is  a lot  of 
wobbling,  so-called  independent  churches,  and  only  one  or  two  really 
strong,  efficient  organizations.  If  missionaries  were  well  trained  in 
church  administration  they  could  not  be  content  to  repeat  systematically 
these  experiments. 

“(b)  The  securing  and  training  of  strong  Japanese  Christian  work- 
ers. There  is  a lack  here,  both  of  the  desire  to  secure  and  the  ability 
to  train  strong  pastors  and  other  workers.  I do  not  see  that  young 
missionaries  have  special  training  for  this,  the  most  important  work  in 
the  Empire  of  Japan. 

“(c)  Bible  study  is  not  developed,  due  to  lack  of  training  in  methods 
of  Bible  teaching." 

“There  is  very  great  need  of  special  missionary  training  for  district 
(evangelistic)  missionaries  in  sociology,  anthropology,  primitive  reli- 
gion, etc.  Their  work  simply  bristles  with  problems  which  require 
for  their  right  solution  great  insight  and  sympathy.” 

“Government  inspectors  and  inspectresses  (in  India)  are  impatient 
with  missions  who  place  untrained  teachers  over  their  schools.  The 
B.A.  degree  is  not  enough.  They  demand  a knowledge  of  the  latest 
educational  methods  and  a high  standard  of  teaching.  Many  a mission 
school  is  given  only  a low  grant  from  the  Government  because  of  its 


22 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


old-fashioned  teaching  methods,  due  largely  to  the  ignorance  along 
educational  lines  of  its  principal.  All  missionaries  should  have  some 
training  in  religious  education  for  practically  every  missionary  is  put 
in  charge  of  Sunday-schools.” 

“I  feel  that  none  of  our  schools  are  conducted  as  they  should  be.  I 
thought  this  was  true  only  of  primary  schools,  but  I find  it  almost 
equally  so  of  secondary  schools.” 

“I  myself  have  had  to  do  almost  every  kind  of  mission  work,  with 
no  very  special  training  for  any  of  it.  ...  I am  fully  convinced  that  I 
have  had  to  do  too  many  kinds  of  work  to  do  any  one  well.  Send  us 
young  men  and  women  with  the  very  best  training,  each  one  with 
special  training  for  some  special  phase  of  work,  and  we  will  see  to  it 
that  they  shall  have  a fair  chance.  It  is  the  specialist’s  day  and  our 
mission  work  is  no  exception.” 

“The  fact  is  that  in  Japan  and  China  a man  must  be  well  up  in  his 
work  now,  and  there  is  a growing  demand  for  evangelistic  missionaries 
as  well  as  school  men  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  subject  and 
thought  of  their  work  if  they  are  to  hold  the  respect  of  the  educated 
classes.  For  instance,  in  Ningpo  we  are  getting  young  college  men, 
with  additional  theological  training  for  three  years.  These  men  are 
becoming  pastors  of  our  churches.  If  the  missionary  is  not  alert  to 
modern  thought  he  loses  his  influence  with  such  men,  and  if  he  does 
not  feel  that  the  situation  demands  his  own  constant  improvement  he 
might  just  as  well  stay  in  America.  The  fact  is  that  when  our  colleges 
and  theological  and  medical  schools  are  through  with  educating  young 
men,  the  latter  come  back  to  work  with  and  often  to  be  directed  by  the 
missionary.  For  this  reason  the  evangelist  should  be  able  to  meet  them 
intelligently  and  lead  them  on  to  further  study.” 

“In  general  the  day  of  the  specially  trained  man  for  the  special  task 
has  come,  but  the  old  idea  that  an  American  B.  A.,  plus  three  years  of 
theological  seminary  training,  is  equal  to  anything,  dies  hard;  is  very 
much  alive  in  many  missions  today.” 

“The  opportunities  are  so  many  and  so  varied  that  it  is  difficult  to 
particularize.  Our  Chinese  society  is  a seething  mass  of  people  who 
have  largely  thrown  over  their  old  traditions  and  restraints  and  are 
looking  for  any  possible  means  of  satisfying  the  common  needs  of  life. 
Native  specialization  has  scarcely  begun.  . . . The  next  two  or  three 
decades  will  surely  see  an  entirely  reorganized  society,  with  all  forms 
of  modern  specialization.  It  would  be  difficult  to  conceive  of  a greater 
opportunity  than  our  missions  have  of  taking  the  leadership  in  any 


23 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


line  of  specialization  for  which  we  are  able  to  prepare.  Our  situation 
leads  most  naturally  to  educational  specialization  for  mission  workers.” 

“I  think  many  educational  opportunities  in  China  are  lost  because 
of  lack  of  workers  with  sufficiently  specialized  training  in  that  line. 
The  same  thing  is  true  of  the  social  application  of  Christianity  to 
industrial,  economic,  and  political  conditions.  Lack  of  training  and 
knowledge  of  what  is  being  done  in  the  West  prevent  us  from  seeing 
what  might  be  done.” 

‘‘Our  mission  schools  might  take  the  lead  in  the  educational  world 
of  Japan  again,  as  they  once  did,  if  missionaries  with  large  educational 
vision  and  equipment,  people  who  have  the  ability  to  pioneer  in  the 
educational  field  and  not  merely  supplicate  for  Government  recognition 
by  copying  Government  standards,  were  at  the  head  of  our  institutions. 
We  need  educational  thinkers  who  can  take  a share  in  popular  educa- 
tional literature  and  make  their  influence  felt  in  educational  assem- 
blages.” 

‘‘Our  whole  work  suffers  from  unprofessional  methods  (hospital 
excepted),  schools  especially.  Manual  training  practically  non-existent 
and  most  important.” 

‘‘Yes,  there  is  a vast  amount  of  work  to  be  done  by  educational 
experts  in  studying  scientifically  the  whole  problem  of  modern  educa- 
tion, textbooks,  adaptations,  needs,  etc.,  as  applied  to  the  China  field. 
Many  broad  and  general  problems  and  policies,  as  well  as  narrower 
and  more  specialized  problems  that  only  experts  and  men  of  experience 
and  training  for  such  investigations  and  original  contributions  can 
make.  All  present  men  engaged  are  too  burdened  and  lack  the 
training.” 

‘‘There  is  a growing  and  insistent  demand  for  industrial,  commer- 
cial and  agricultural  training  in  connection  with  our  schools.  The 
Christian  community  is  growing,  and  the  young  cannot  all  go  into  the 
professions.  We  have  nobody  competent  to  give  such  training.” 

“We  see  a great  need  for  developing  agricultural  training  to  enable 
the  church  to  become  self-supporting,  but  we  have  only  one  man  on 
the  field  with  such  training.  We  could  employ  several  men  to  good 
advantage  in  this  line  of  work.” 

“Teachers  of  agriculture  with  wit  enough  to  develop  into  specialists 
on  country  life  of  a kind  totally  different  from  that  of  their  native 
country.  At  present  we  are  draining  the  best  blood  out  of  the  country 
by  our  schools.” 

“Men  for  special  kinds  of  missionary  work,  such  as  city  evangeliza- 


24 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


tion.  Also  for  reaching  various  classes  of  society  through  ability  to 
help  them  in  their  problems,  i.e.,  educators,  officials,  business  men.” 

“It  seems  to  me  that  one  great  need  is  that  the  Boards  and  the 
Christian  constituency  that  supports  missionary  work  should  realize 
that  the  work  on  the  foreign  field  is  as  complex  as  at  home,  even 
though  it  comprises  different  elements,  and  that  this  demands  special- 
ists as  it  does  at  home.  Those  doing  the  training  should  also  realize 
that  actual  experience  of  the  conditions  on  the  field  is  as  necessary 
as  the  theory  of  the  specialty,  hence  ample  time  should  be  given  for  the 
obtaining  of  this  experience.” 

“The  success  of  the  all-round  man  at  home  today  depends  largely,  I 
believe,  on  the  fact  that  he  has  available  the  results  and  the  assistance 
of  the  work  of  specialists  right  to  his  hand.  When  he  meets  a problem 
demanding  special  knowledge  or  special  ability  he  knows  where  he  can 
turn  for  help.  On  the  mission  field  you  have;  the  same  grade  of  all- 
round man  as  a rule,  with  even  greater  demands  for  specialized  knowl- 
edge arising  from  time  to  time.  Unless  he  is  able  to  secure  the  special 
help  needed,  he  must  either  fail  to  do  his  work  satisfactorily  or  he  must 
take  the  time  to  master  the  special  problems  himself.  The  average 
new  missionary  is  apt  to  flounder  badly  when  he  first  comes  to  the 
field,  especially  at  present,  when  methods  of  work  and  demands  upon 
us  are  changing  every  year,  unless  he  can  get  the  assistance  of  men 
who  are  more  or  less  masters  of  their  departments.  Of  course,  older 
all-round  men  often  become  masters,  but  more  and  more  we  find  that 
the  newer  demands  find  them  also  floundering  with  situations  they 
cannot  adequately  meet,  through  ignorance  of  the  specialized  methods 
that  have  been  worked  out  for  dealing  with  these  specific  problems.  A 
striking  example  at  present  is  Sunday-school  work.  In  China  the 
Sunday-school  is  becoming  very  prominent.  Most  evangelistic  and 
many  other  men  are  attempting  such  work,  with  often  very  indifferent 
success.  In  Chengtu  we  had  for  two  years  a man  who  had  specialized 
in  religious  education  and  in  a short  time  he  revolutionized  the  Sunday- 
schools  of  his  mission.  Others,  seeing  what  could  be  done,  are  now 
able  to  copy  his  methods.  It  is  these  leaders  of  leaders  that  we  need 
just  now  and  in  a hurry.” 

“The  Union  University  Medical  School  (West  China)  is  deplorably 
lacking  in  specially  trained  men.  Six  more  men  are  most  urgently 
needed  now.  Teachers  for  and  experts  in  biological  laboratory  prep- 
aration of  serums,  vaccines,  etc.,  an  expert  bacteriologist,  pathologist, 
surgeon  (abdominal),  internist  in  medicine  (especially  heart  and 
lungs),  physiologist,  obstetrician.  This  need  is  imperative.” 

25 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


Question  3.  “Do  you  think  there  is  likely  to  be  an  increase  of  these 
opportunities  in  the  next  few  years?” 

Out  of  one  hundred  and  forty-one  correspondents  reply- 
ing to  this  question,  one  hundred  and  ten  answered  in  the 
affirmative,  twenty-four  of  them  being  very  emphatic  in 
their  expressions;  fourteen  others  sent  affirmative  replies 
with  some  qualifications,  six  were  doubtful,  and  only  eleven 
negative.  The  consensus  of  opinion  that  opportunities  are 
likely  to  increase  is  therefore  represented  by  a very  great 
majority.  Of  the  eleven  negative  replies,  five  were  from 
Japan  and  three  from  India.  But  there  were  fifteen  corre- 
spondents from  Japan  who  replied  in  the  affirmative,  and  a 
larger  number  from  India.  A few  specific  comments  are  as 
follows : 

“There  is  sure  to  be  continued  increase  in  demand  for  specialists.” 
“Unless  the  opportunity  is  quickly  embraced  it  will  pass  from  our 
hands  into  those  of  the  non-Christians.” 

As  a whole,  the  testimony  as  to  the  probable  increase  in 
demands  for  specialists  is  very  strong. 


2.  Statements  relating  to  the  Difficulties  which  arise  in  the 
Use  of  Workers  with  Special  Training 

For  reasons  which  are  more  fully  explained  below,  there 
has  been  in  the  minds  of  some  a prejudice  against  mission- 
aries with  special  training.  In  order  to  discover  whether 
such  prejudice  was  justified,  the  committee  included  in  its 
questionnaire  three  queries.  It  need  hardly  be  said  that 
there  was  not  the  slightest  intention  of  casting  aspersion  on 
the  character  of  any  missionary  with  or  without  special 
training.  The  replies,  when  carefully  noted,  are  quite  reas- 
suring. 


26 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


Question  4.  To  what  causes  would  you  attribute  the  failures  you 
have  known  on  the  part  of  missionaries  with  special  training? 

There  were  ninety  replies,  giving  one  hundred  and  forty- 
nine  specifications,  some  of  which  were  evidently  based  on 
conjecture  as  to  the  probable  effects  of  special  training 
rather  than  on  actual  experience,  since  some  of  the  corre- 
spondents stated  elsewhere  that  they  had  known  no  causes 
of  failure  of  those  with  special  training.  Sixteen  other 
correspondents  made  no  suggestions  on  the  ground  that  they 
had  no  data  whatever  or  too  little  on  which  to  base  an 
opinion. 


Type  of  Causes. 

Onesidedness  of  character  or  training — 

Lack  of  adaptability  21 

Narrowness 14 

Professional  attitude 7 

Lack  of  interest  in  general  work  or  unwillingness  to  take 

part  in  it 6 

Too  much  theory 4 

Lack  of  practical  perspective 3 

Too  advanced  training 1 

Intolerance 1 

Too  narrow  specialization 1 


58 

Nearly  39  per  cent  of  the  whole. 

Lack  of  understanding — 

Disappointment  or  impatience  with  work  which  is  in  an 


undeveloped  state  20 

(This  reason  was  alluded  to  a number  of  times  in  con- 
nection with  other  questions.) 

Misunderstanding  at  home  as  to  what  is  wanted 2 


22 


27 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


Lack  of  personal  qualities — 

Lack  of  missionary  spirit 14 

Lack  of  spirituality 3 

Lack  of  general  or  practical  experience  or  testing 4 

Lack  of  general  training  3 

Lack  of  special  training 3 

Defective  personal  equation  3 

Lack  of  initiative 2 

Lack  of  character  1 

Lack  of  ability 1 

Lack  of  common-sense  1 

Lack  of  ability  to  work  with  others 1 


36 

Causes  less  under  the  control  of  the  specialist — 


Lack  of  equipment  5 

Lack  of  appreciation  by  others  5 

Wrong  assignment 2 

Overloading 2 

Work  outside  of  specialty  2 

Difficulties  due  to  personal  reasons  3 


19 

Of  other  specifications  none  was  mentioned  by  more  than 
two  persons,  and  it  seemed  difficult  to  bring  them  under  any 
one  classification. 

A large  percentage  of  these  specifications  are  simply  com- 
mon failings  of  mankind  and  the  main  causes  of  the  failures 
of  all  missionaries,  whether  with  specialized  training  or 
without.  It  would  be  manifestly  unfair  to  hold  such  training 
accountable  for  more  than  a fraction  of  these  failings,  ex- 
cept in  cases  where  Boards  relax  ordinary  demands  in  ap- 
pointing specialists.  In  view  of  the  difficulties  that  one 
might  in  the  nature  of  things  expect  to  find  in  making  use 
of  specialists  on  the  foreign  field,  this  testimony,  though  cer- 
tainly confirming  possible  dangers,  is  also  reassuring. 

28 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


Specific  comments  are  as  follows : 

“After  seventeen  years  on  the  field,  my  experience  leads  me  to  say 
that  specialists  are  generally  a nuisance  on  the  field,  do  not  fit  in  nor 
accomplish  the  results  that  are  hoped,  and  generally  retire  disgruntled. 
. . . The  mere  fact  of  specialization  tends  to  reduce  the  value  of  a 
man  as  a missionary,  since  it  tends  to  take  away  that  great  requisite 
of  every  missionary — adaptability,  sympathetic  study  and  appreciation 
of  native  life  and  methods.  , . . We  have  normal  school  specialists 
and  Sunday-school  specialists,  etc.,  who  are  hardly  worthy  to  sit  at  the 
feet  of  men  and  women  who  came  out  with  no  special  training.” 

“So  far  as  I know  of  such  failure,  it  seems  to  be  due  to  narrowness 
of  training,  lack  of  social  sympathy,  lack  of  adaptability,  and  lack  of 
understanding  as  to  the  work  expected,  between  the  candidate  and  the 
mission  concerned ; also  to  failure  on  the  part  of  old  missionaries  to 
appreciate  the  value  of  specialization.” 

“My  observation  of  missionary  failures  has  been  that  they  occurred, 
not  so  much  because  of  special  training  or  lack  of  it,  but  because  of 
ill  health  (nerves),  and  from  lack  of  sympathy  with  and  appreciation 
of  other  workers,  from  a tendency  to  rush  into  things  without  a proper 
understanding  and  appreciation  of  the  Chinese  with  whom  we  work. 
Education  or  specialized  training  will  not  correct  these  failings.” 

“In  my  experience  the  failures  of  missionaries  are  in  ninety-nine 
cases  out  of  a hundred  due  to  their  failure  to  use  to  the  utmost  the 
powers  they  possess.  It  certainly  is  true  in  my  own  case,  and  I fear 
in  that  of  others  also,  that  indolence  and  discouragement  are  the  great- 
est hindrances  to  efficiency.” 

“They  are  liable  to  be  unsympathetic  to  general  missionary  work. 
But  the  fact  is  that  the  few  I have  known  are  enthusiastic  supporters 
of  any  missionary  or  method  that  makes  for  progress.” 

“For  instance,  a man  with  special  training  in  education  wants  to 
revolutionize  the  work  all  at  once.  The  other  men  cannot  see  it  that 
way.  The  cause  of  failure  is  not  in  special  training,  but  in  the  inability 
of  both  old  and  new  to  meet  and  work  together.” 

“Chiefly,  not  being  willing  to  follow  out  their  special  training  in 
that  kind  of  work  on  the  field,  e.g.,  Ph.D.  in  chemistry  leaving  educa- 
tional work  and  entering  evangelistic  work.  Second,  inability  to  adapt 
specialized  and  highly  technical  training  to  local  conditions.  Third, 
too  few  opportunities  for  special  training  or  very  advanced  grade 
of  work.” 

“Non-college  trained  men  are  usually  harder  to  work  with  than  col- 


29 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


lege  trained  men.  They  do  not  know  how  to  do  team  work.  There 
is  too  much  of  each  man  for  himself,  with  suspicion  of  other  men,  but 
the  vast  percentage  of  specialists  are  successes.” 

“Men  with  specialized  training  often  find  when  they  come  out  that 
nothing  is  ready  for  them,  that  they  are  expected  to  create  the  field  for 
their  own  work,  and  that  they  must  do  so  in  rather  strong  competition 
with  the  older  men  of  the  mission  engaged  in  regular  work.  They 
become  discouraged  unless  they  are  men  of  real  determination.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  field  may  be  ready  for  them,  but  they  hurt  them- 
selves by  looking  on  their  own  work  as  so  much  more  important  than 
the  work  of  their  fellow  laborers.  I should  therefore  suggest  that  in 
the  first  place  missions  state  more  clearly  their  policies  and  the  exact 
nature  of  the  work  which  they  expect  the  specialist  to  develop,  and, 
secondly,  that  the  general  training  of  the  men  be  broad  enough  for 
them  to  realize  the  value  of  work  other  than  their  own.” 

“A  failure  of  the  missionary  to  understand  beforehand  the  nature 
of  the  work  and  the  circumstances  under  which  he  must  work.  He 
becomes  discouraged  and  dissatisfied.  One  who  goes  out  to  teach 
English,  thinking  it  to  be  literature,  is  not  pleased  to  find  that  it  is  the 
first,  second,  and  third  readers  that  he  must  teach.” 

“(a)  Lack  of  information  sent  to  the  Board  by  the  mission.  The 
Board  then  selects  men  with  general  training,  with  some  special  knowl- 
edge regarding  the  special  work  to  be  done,  (b)  Failure  on  the  part 
of  the  Board  to  ascertain  the  extent  of  special  training.” 

“Personal  experience  shows  that  specially  trained  workers  often 
have  to  wait  four  and  five  years  to  develop  any  special  line,  because 
the  Boards  fail  to  fill  the  places  of  the  so-called  general  workers.” 
“Failure  of  other  missionaries  to  recognize  special  training  as  very 
valuable,  and  a consequent  demand  that  general  work  be  done.” 

“Most  trouble  has  been  due  to  emergencies  which  forced  the  mission 
to  put  men  into  positions  for  which  they  were  not  trained.  This  can 
only  be  avoided  by  a larger  staffing  of  the  work  or  a speedier  filling 
of  vacancies.” 

“I  have  not  known  a downright  failure  of  any  one  who  had  special- 
ized, provided  he  got  an  opportunity  to  work  in  his  own  line.” 

Question  5.  Is  the  percentage  of  failures  of  missionaries  with  spe- 
cial training  perceptibly  greater  than  that  of  those  without  such 
training? 

Thirty  correspondents  in  all  answered  in  the  affirmative, 
two  of  them  with  emphasis,  and  ten  with  qualifications. 

30 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


Sixty-eight  replied  in  the  negative,  of  which  ten  held  that 
the  percentage  of  failures  was  “perceptibly  less,”  and  five 
others  qualified  their  replies.  The  largest  proportion  of 
those  answering  in  the  affirmative  were  evangelists,  with 
nine  affirmatives  and  fourteen  negatives.  Over  two-thirds 
of  the  correspondents  failed  to  notice  that  specialized  train- 
ing impairs  success  on  the  mission  field,  in  spite  of  all  the 
theoretical  and  actual  difficulties  mentioned  above.  It  is  cer- 
tainly comforting  to  find  that  in  the  great  majority  of  cases 
such  difficulties  are  apparently  surmountable.  The  quota- 
tions are  as  follows: 

“No,  not  as  great.  In  seven  years  spent  in  China,  I know  of  five 
general  missionaries  who  either  resigned  or  were  sent  home,  but  I 
know  of  no  special  man  making  a failure.” 

“I  do  not  believe  so,  but  it  is  more  noticeable.  The  ordinary  mission- 
ary when  he  fails  just  stays  on,  marking  time.” 

Question  6.  If  so  (failures  of  specialized  missionaries  more  frequent 
than  those  with  general  training),  would  you  assign  it  to 
greater  laxity  of  Boards  in  their  requirements,  to  special  diffi- 
culties on  the  field,  or  to  some  other  cause? 

The  answers  were  too  general  to  be  significant.  Twenty 
speak  of  lack  of  personal  qualities  and  the  right  kind  of 
training,  seventeen  of  difficulties  on  the  field,  sixteen  of 
laxity  of  Boards.  It  is  probable  that  much  the  same  sort  of 
testimony  would  have  resulted  if  the  question  had  been  in 
regard  to  the  causes  of  failures  of  missionaries  with  general 
training.  The  quotations  are  as  follows : 

“Sometimes  mission  Boards  in  their  eagerness  to  fill  a place  send 
a man  who  can  be  called  a specialist  only  by  courtesy.  Being  thus  pre- 
pared to  do  one  particular  job,  his  failure  is  more  noticeable  than  is  the 
failure  of  one  with  general  training  who  can  be  transferred  to  some- 
thing else.  If  he  is  a failure  he  usually  knows  it  and  has  spunk  enough 
to  quit,  whereas  lots  of  missionaries  with  general  training  are  failures 
without  knowing  it,  and  no  one  has  the  heart  to  put  them  out.” 

“Missionaries  of  the  ordinary  type  are  often  unsympathetic  toward 
the  specialist.  They  are  unable  to  appreciate  his  difficulties.  They 


31 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


undervalue  the  contributions  he  can  make.  He  is  usually  a pioneer  in 
his  department  and  the  difficulties  are  discouraging  enough  anyway, 
and  if  he  cannot  get  sympathy  he  is  likely  to  be  completely  cast  down.” 
“I  doubt  the  wisdom  of  placing  a specialist  in  work  connected  with 
a mission  unless  that  mission  is  in  such  full  sympathy  with  that  special 
work  as  to  make  the  enterprise  safe  in  the  hands  of  the  mission.” 

“Very  especially  the  feeling  that  they  had  met  a situation  for  which 
they  were  not  prepared  by  sufficient  information  when  they  left  home. 
Mr.  X.  came  out  to  do  a highly  specialized  kind  of  work,  that  is,  we 
expected  him  for  that  work,  awaited  his  coming  with  eagerness, 
received  him  with  a real  ovation,  and  at  his  reception  he  had  to  admit 
in  answer  to  our  congratulations  that  he  did  not  know  anything  about 
doing  that  work  at  all.  It  was  a shock  all  around  and  before  long  he 
went  home,  never  to  return,  and  a thoroughly  good  missionary  purpose 
and  a fine  man  were  lost  to  the  work.  It  was  not  his  fault;  he  had 
made  no  misrepresentation.  The  case  had  not  been  properly  adjusted 
at  home.” 

“Specialists  sometimes  expect  fine  positions  of  influence  and  oppor- 
tunity to  be  waiting  for  them  and  so  are  disappointed  and  feel  that 
they  are  throwing  away  their  talents.” 

“I  know  of  an  agricultural  worker  who,  in  connection  with  work  on 
an  orphanage  farm  for  which  he  was  admirably  fitted,  was  obliged  to 
try  to  supervise  the  activities  of  the  neighboring  church,  for  which  he 
had  no  fitness  at  all.  The  result  was  that  he  had  to  close  the  orphan- 
age farm  and  leave.” 

“Boards  seem  to  be  easily  deceived  by  the  man  who  is  impulsive 
and  unstable,  who  feels  a call  to  the  foreign  field  which  is  often  merely 
a desire  for  change  and  indicates  a restless,  unstable  character.  They 
choose  him  in  preference  to  a man  who  does  not  urge  his  claims  and 
who  probably  will  prove  a successful  and  permanent  man.” 
“Specialists  should  never  be  sent  to  the  field  with  a hope  that  they 
may  be  able  to  create  a need.  In  Christian  work  in  China  a specialist 
without  evangelistic  zeal  will  do  more  harm  than  good  as  far  as  the 
cause  of  Christ  is  concerned.” 

“We  have  a woman  who  started  on  normal  work  last  fall.  She 
finds  methods,  etc.,  such  in  the  school  that  she  says  it  is  impossible  to 
go  on,  as  the  practice  of  the  school  and  the  teaching  which  she  gives 
are  so  far  apart  that  her  pupils  must  think  either  that  she  is  a crank  or 
the  headmistress  an  ignoramus.  . . . Whence  I deduce  that  it  is  rarely 
wise  to  put  a newly  come  professional  under  an  experienced  non- 
professional. 


32 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


“The  great  problem  seems  to  be  that  of  educating  missionaries 
already  on  the  field  and  those  who  shape  mission  policies  at  home  to 
the  radical  need  of  specialization  in  mission  work.  Especially  in  edu- 
cational work  missionaries  have  drifted  into  positions  of  responsibility 
for  which  they  have  no  adequate  special  training.  This  I believe  to  be 
the  greatest  hindrance  to  the  improving  of  educational  policy  in  all  the 
missions  with  which  I am  acquainted. 

“Our  one  new  missionary  coming  to  the  field  this  year  comes  to 
supervise  mission  schools  in  one  of  our  stations,  yet  he  has  absolutely 
no  conception  of  modern  educational  ideals,  has  never  studied  educa- 
tional administration,  and  does  not  seem  to  know  that  he  ought  to  be 
acquainted  with  any  professional  literature  dealing  with  educational 
problems.  He  had  a few  years’  experience  teaching  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A., 
mostly  in  night  schools,  and  apparently  this  was  accepted  without 
question  as  preparing  him  for  the  administration  of  mission  schools. 
Even  a few  weeks  in  a school  like  Teachers’  College,  Columbia,  would 
have  started  him  on  new  lines  of  thinking  that  would  have  added 
immensely  to  his  usefulness  on  the  field.” 

“This  preference  (for  general  workers)  is  not  so  marked  now; 
it  is  passing.  In  this  place  there  is  a growing  preference  for  those 
with  specialized  training.” 

These  questions  and  the  replies  they  have  elicited  seem  to 
call  for  a few  comments,  emphasizing  some  of  the  real  diffi- 
culties involved  in  the  employment  on  the  foreign  field  of 
workers  with  special  training. 

In  the  first  place  there  is  no  assurance  that  the  demand 
and  supply  of  any  given  type  of  training  will  be  equal  in 
any  one  year.  Most  foreign  mission  Boards  have  each  year 
a certain  number  of  requests  from  their  missions  for 
workers  with  special  training,  which  may  be  arranged  in  the 
order  of  preference.  For  filling  these  positions  they  are  de- 
pendent upon  the  candidates  who  happen  to  be  ready  to  sail. 
It  is  very  unlikely  under  present  conditions  that  the  number 
of  doctors,  nurses,  special  teachers,  kindergartners,  etc.,  that 
are  available  will  be  exactly  the  number  that  has  been  asked 
for.  A Board  may  have  requests  for  five  kindergartners 
and  only  two  ready  to  sail,  or  five  on  hand  with  places  for 


33 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


only  two.  In  the  former  case  the  work  on  the  field  will  have 
to  get  along  as  it  best  can,  going  without  some  new  kinder- 
gartens or  perhaps  putting  in  charge  persons  without  train- 
ing. In  the  latter  case  the  trained  candidates  will  have  to 
choose  between  taking  up  some  other  form  of  work,  post- 
poning their  sailing,  or  applying  to  some  other  Board.  The 
more  attractive  the  general  qualities  of  the  candidate  the 
more  apt  are  Boards  to  urge  the  first  of  these  proposals, 
feeling  that  an  individual  of  this  stamp  will  surely  make 
good  anywhere.  The  need  for  workers  is  so  great  that  the 
waste  of  a few  years  of  special  training  is  disregarded.  Only 
when  candidates  are  so  highly  specialized  that  they  cannot 
be  used  for  general  work  are  they  apt  to  be  referred  to  other 
Boards. 

In  the  second  place,  there  are  several  reasons  why  a mis- 
sionary with  special  training  is  less  likely  to  make  good  on 
the  foreign  field  than  at  home.  Some  of  these  reasons  are 
true  of  all  missionaries.  The  adjustment  to  the  new  cli- 
mate, surroundings,  and  associates  is  necessary,  and  a diffi- 
cult language  may  need  to  be  mastered.  Many  non-special- 
ists fail  to  meet  these  tests.  The  specialized  missionary  may 
find  in  addition  that  the  work  he  is  expected  to  take  up  is  in 
a very  undeveloped  state  or  even  awaiting  creation,  that 
conditions  and  equipment  are  very  dififerent  from  those  to 
which  he  has  been  accustomed,  that  there  are  none  with 
whom  he  can  consult,  as  at  home,  when  he  gets  into  diffi- 
culties, that  his  fellow  missionaries  are  so  unfamiliar  with 
his  ideals  and  methods  as  to  be  able  to  render  little  effective 
cooperation,  in  some  cases  being  uns)'mpathetic,  and  that 
the  mission  is  unable  or  unwilling  to  provide  adequate  sup- 
port. As  will  be  seen  in  the  quotations  above,  none  of  these 
suppositions  is  purely  imaginary.  Finally,  as  many  corre- 
spondents remark,  the  failure  of  the  specialized  worker  is 
more  evident  than  that  of  one  with  general  training.  The 
former  came  out  to  do  one  specific  thing.  If  he  fails  in  that 


34 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


he  has  missed  his  mark.  The  general  worker  may  attempt 
half  a dozen  things  and  succeed  in  only  one  without  being 
recalled.  Moreover,  the  standards  of  the  former  are  apt  to 
be  more  exacting  and  definite.  If  he  cannot  run  his  school 
on  up-to-date  principles  he  is  disappointed.  His  evangelistic 
colleague  set  to  teaching  is  less  sensitive  to  professional 
shortcomings. 

Again,  the  general  understaffing  of  foreign  missionary 
work  and  its  distance  from  the  base  of  supplies  renders 
emergencies,  due  to  furlough,  illness,  resignation  or  death, 
more  serious  than  at  home.  The  number  of  workers  is  so 
limited  that  the  removal  of  even  one  may  be  keenly  felt. 
Vacancies  leave  larger  holes  and  are  not  so  easily  or  quickly 
filled.  Transfer  from  other  missions  may  not  be  practicable, 
new  recruits  from  America  may  not  be  available  for  many 
months,  and  may  need  a longer  period  after  they  arrive  to 
learn  the  language  and  become  of  real  use.  Sometimes  a 
series  of  withdrawals  may  fall  upon  a mission  at  once  and 
render  it  necessary  for  each  missionary  to  act  without  regard 
to  previous  training  or  preference  for  a type  of  work.  Under 
such  circumstances  certain  lines  of  special  work  may  be  given 
up  altogether  or  in  an  institution  individuals  may  be  called 
upon  to  teach  subjects  with  which  they  have  no  more  than  a 
bowing  acquaintance.  No  reasonable  man  can  fail  to  realize 
the  necessity  for  this  procedure,  but  for  the  time  being  his 
specialized  training  may  be  entirely  out  of  commission.  It  is 
harder  to  accept  such  a situation  if  a specialist’s  colleagues 
have  been  more  severe  on  his  work  than  circumstances  actu- 
ally demanded.  But  he  must  yield  to  the  judgment  of  the 
majority.  Some  missions  are  in  what  might  be  called  a 
chronic  state  of  emergency  and  may  postpone  the  initiation 
of  some  form  of  specialized  work  for  several  years,  during 
which  period  the  specialized  training  of  the  new  missionary 
has  no  chance  for  exercise.  Understaffing  may  also  operate 


35 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


to  deprive  the  specialist  of  any  competent  assistance,  or  to 
close  or  cripple  the  work  while  he  is  home  on  furlough. 

These  occurrences  are  still  by  no  means  infrequent  on  the 
foreign  field,  and  a worker  with  specialized  training  will  do 
well  to  reckon  with  them. 

Fourth,  it  is  evident  that  a missionary  looking  forward  to 
specialized  work  on  the  field,  will  need  qualifications  not 
usually  demanded  of  the  specialist  in  this  country.  He  will 
need  adaptability  of  a high  order,  missionary  zeal,  cheerful- 
ness in  accepting  the  decisions  of  the  mission,  and  interest 
and  efficiency  in  general  work.  It  is  much  easier  to  find  a 
person  who  has  all  these  qualities  but  is  not  a competent 
specialist,  or  who  is  a competent  specialist  but  has  not  all 
these  qualities,  than  one  who  has  the  complete  combination. 
A Board  who  refused  to  appoint  any  candidates  but  those 
with  red  hair  and  blue  eyes  would  probably  be  compelled  to 
relax  its  standards  in  other  respects.  It  is  undoubtedly  true 
that  some  specialists  have  lacked  very  essential  missionary 
qualities,  though  replies  to  our  questionnaire  indicate  that 
this  is  the  exception  rather  than  the  rule.  In  any  event,  it 
is  disastrous  and  demands  increased  care  on  the  part  of  the 
Boards. 

Fifth,  candidates  with  special  training  undoubtedly  pre- 
sent to  Boards  and  missions  greater  administrative  difficul- 
ties, and  for  this  reason  it  is  probable  that  the  need  for  them 
has  not  been  so  cordially  acknowledged  as  should  have  been 
the  case.  General  workers  are  certainly  more  needed  than 
any  one  type  of  specialist,  if  not  more  than  all  combined, 
and  as  long  as  this  is  so  they  will  be  the  favorites  of  Boards 
and  missions.  It  is  easier  to  place  a man  who  will  fit  into  a 
large  number  of  vacancies.  He  can  be  shifted  more  easily 
up  to  the  last  moment,  as  is  often  necessary,  and  he  can  be 
more  readily  transferred  on  the  field.  The  ideal  missionary 
from  the  administrative  standpoint  is  the  all-round  worker 
who  can  do  a large  number  of  things  well  enough  to  satisfy 


36 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


the  non-professional  standards  of  Boards  and  missions  and 
make  good  at  any  task.  It  is  not  asserted  that  missions  or 
Boards  in  general  fail  to  recognize  the  need  for  specialists, 
but  only  that  the  real  difficulties  of  the  situation  are  apt  to 
influence  their  judgment. 

Sixth,  there  is  also  evidence  on  the  part  of  some  mission- 
aries of  prejudice  against  specialized  training,  which  seems 
to  be  not  so  well  justified. 

(a)  Some  oppose  it  in  the  interests  of  the  more  general 
evangelistic  or  pioneer  type  of  work.  This  objection  may  be 
very  well  founded  in  particular  cases.  But  it  may  also  rest 
on  an  inadequate  basis.  Some  missionaries  have  tasks  in 
which  quantity  is  more  important  than  quality,  so  that  they 
are  held  down  to  a comparatively  unspecialized  routine. 
Others  are  by  temperament  pioneers  and  are  averse  to  ex- 
act methods.  Both  these  types  may  underestimate  special- 
ization, merely  because  it  is  uncongenial  to  them.  In  some 
cases  the  theological  beliefs  of  missionaries  affect  their  atti- 
tudes. Certain  forms  of  pre-millenarianism,  which  expect 
a steady  increase  of  evil  in  the  world  and  the  possibly  speedy 
return  of  Christ,  are  apt  to  minimize  the  importance  of  any 
kind  of  missionary  activity  but  evangelism. 

(b)  Some,  by  large  native  ability  or  versatility,  have  been 
able  to  achieve  great  success  with  only  general  training. 
These  missionaries  are  apt  to  think  that  all  others  should 
be  able  to  do  the  same. 

(c)  Some  admit  the  value  of  special  training  in  the  ab- 
stract, but  think  that  the  kinds  obtained  at  the  home  base 
are  usually  inadequate  for  field  needs. 

(d)  Some  have  met  individual  specialists  who  were  fail- 
ures and  lay  the  blame  on  the  training  rather  than  on  the 
men.  Of  the  four  classes  of  objectors  mentioned,  it  seems 
safe  to  say  that  the  majority  have  never  had  any  personal 
experience  of  the  value  of  special  training  nor  an  oppor- 
tunity to  keep  in  touch  with  recent  progress  made  along 

37 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


various  lines.  Moreover,  the  attitude  of  some  missionaries 
is  apparently  due  to  their  having  in  mind  very  narrow  types 
of  specialization. 

All  these  reasons  constitute  real  difficulties  in  the  employ- 
ment of  workers  with  special  training  on  the  foreign  field. 

3.  Statements  concerning  the  Training  of  Missionary  Candi- 
dates who  anticipate  Specialization  on  the  Field 

Question  7.  What  minimum  of  general  training  should  be  required 
of  all  specialists? 

The  general  training  most  frequently  mentioned  was  a 
college  course.  Only  twenty  out  of  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
two  explicitly  stated  that  they  would  be  satisfied  with  less 
than  a full  college  course  as  a minimum  requirement. 

Only  two  mentioned  a theological  course  as  a minimum. 
It  was  not  clear  in  either  case  that  a three-year  course  was 
in  mind.  One  would  require  it  even  for  medical  men.  A 
third  mentioned  some  theological  training.  Some  of  the 
quotations  follow: 

“Enough  general  training  to  enable  him  to  take  his  place  in  cul- 
tured society;  also  to  enable  him  to  see  the  relation  of  his  specializa- 
tion to  modern  world  society  and  to  appreciate  other  lines  of  work, 
especially  those  of  his  fellow  missionaries.  This  would  generally 
mean  a college  course,  with  a good  comprehension  of  Christianity 
and  its  tasks,  but  not  a theological  seminary  course  except  for  those 
whose  specialization  was  in  that  field.” 

“Every  one  engaged  in  a religious  enterprise  ought  to  know  some- 
thing about  religion.  Many  doctors  who  are  thoroughly  up  to  date  in 
medicine  are  as  ignorant  as  it  is  possible  to  be  about  modern  religious 
thought.  This  is  a very  perilous  condition  for  a man’s  own  spiritual 
life.  He  is  a fruitful  field  for  any  kind  of  religious  bacillus  that  may 
come  his  way.” 

“They  ought  really  to  know  their  subjects.  Some  specialists  are 
only  such  in  name.  Above  all,  they  ought  to  know  the  practical  even 
more  thoroughly  than  the  theoretical  side  of  their  training.” 

“A  general  understanding  of  the  special  subjects  they  hope  to  teach. 


38 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


The  agriculturist  should  be  prepared  to  teach  agriculture  by  actual 
demonstrations.  The  mechanic  should  have  practical  experience 
rather  than  theoretical  knowledge.  The  doctor  should  be  a specialist 
in  as  many  different  departments  of  his  profession  as  possible.  The 
industrial  worker  ought  to  have  a knowledge  of  at  least  two  trades, 
such  as  carpentry  and  brick  work.” 

“(a)  In  methods  and  practice  of  Bible  teaching.  If  a man  can 
successfully  teach  a young  men’s  Bible  class  in  Chicago,  he  can  do 
it  in  Tokyo,  (b)  In  the  Bible,  the  more  the  better,  (c)  A good  start 
in  church  history,  (d)  Public  speaking,  (e)  Church  organization, 
(f)  Social  service  work  until  the  foundation  for  study  is  laid,  (g)  By 
some  means  a missionary  ought  to  learn  how  to  work  by  prayer ; most 
of  us  know  little  about  it.  (h)  Knowledge  of  life  in  general  or  train- 
ing in  common  things  like  (1)  simple  bookkeeping,  (2)  English  com- 
position, so  as  to  be  able  to  write  forceful  descriptions  and  reports, 
(3)  some  experience  in  work  with  the  hands,  like  on  a farm,  in  a 
machine  shop,  in  a store,  etc.  (i)  Training  in  real  friendship,  (j)  In 
methods  of  continuous  study;  non-studious  missionaries  are  being 
scrapped  by  the  Japanese  leaders.” 

“The  mission  field  needs  men  of  administrative  ability  imbued  with 
the  ideal  of  service,  men  who  can  do  things.  This  also  is  true  of  the 
specialist,  that  is,  he  must  not  be  a mere  technician.” 

“We  have  now  a number  of  specialists  in  connection  with  our  West 
China  Union  University  as  follows : specialists  in  education,  English, 
history,  sociology  and  economics,  philosophy,  physics,  chemistry, 
mathematics,  biology,  as  well  as  religious  teaching  and  different 
branches  of  medicine.  . . . Not  one  of  these  but  finds  full  scope  for 
his  or  her  special  abilities.  No  training  in  these  lines  is  too  good  for 
the  mission  field  here,  but  each  should  be  preeminently  practical.  The- 
oretical knowledge  cannot  well  be  too  profound,  but  China  especially 
demands  the  practical  bearing  on  life.” 

“For  this  field  every  doctor  should  know  enough  about  dentistry  to 
put  in  temporary  fillings  and  to  treat  minor  tooth  troubles.  Such 
special  training  ought  not  to  require  more  than  one  or  two  months’ 
extra  study,  and  the  Boards  could  easily  afford  to  pay  for  any  expense 
necessary  for  that  study,  knowing  that  many  times  the  amount  paid 
out  in  this  way  would  be  saved  in  keeping  the  regular  workers  in 
shape  for  work.  Before  our  present  doctor  prepared  himself  for  this 
dental  work  quite  a number  of  our  missionaries  had  to  go  from  here 
to  Stanley  Pool,  nine  hundred  miles,  for  dental  work,  thus  losing  from 
a month  to  six  weeks  from  work.  . . . Before  coming  to  the  field 


39 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


I was  advised  not  to  study  medicine  unless  I intended  to  take  the 
complete  course.  This  was  a big  mistake,  and  I hope  your  Board  will 
be  able  to  emphasize  the  importance  of  each  candidate  learning  enough 
about  medicine  to  enable  him  to  take  care  of  his  own  body  as  far  as 
possible.  Frequently  we  are  more  than  a week’s  journey  away  from 
any  doctor  and  then  we  are  helpless  unless  we  know  what  to  do  with 
a case  of  fever  or  other  troubles  that  are  so  common  out  here.  Then, 
too,  a missionary  who  knows  how  to  use  a few  simple  remedies  in 
helping  the  natives  will  find  his  influence  greatly  augmented.” 

Question  8.  What  sort  of  special  training  had  best  be  obtained  (a) 
before  sailing,  (b)  on  the  field,  (c)  during  furlough? 

The  consensus  of  opinion  was  that  general  and  broad  pro- 
fessional training  was  desirable  before  sailing,  that  the  lan- 
guage and  practical  adjustment  to  the  work  should  be  gained 
on  the  field,  and  that  special  needs,  as  indicated  by  experi- 
ence, should  be  the  subject  of  furlough  training.  A very 
small  minority  specifically  recommended  the  deliberate  post- 
ponement of  anything  more  than  general  work  until  fur- 
lough. Others  may  have  had  this  in  mind.  Some  empha- 
sized the  advantage  of  circumstances  on  the  field  for  a study 
of  language  and  religions  and  for  practical  experience.  It 
was  generally  agreed  that  language,  outside  of  phonetics 
and  an  introduction  to  the  subject,  should  be  postponed  un- 
til after  sailing.  A few  seemed  to  think  that  further  and 
professional  study  might  be  practicable  on  the  field.  This 
was  especially  true  of  India,  where  there  are  good  schools 
of  agriculture  and  tropical  medicine.  A larger  number 
called  attention  to  the  difficulties  of  systematic  study  for  busy 
missionaries.  It  was  generally  agreed  that  nothing  would 
reveal  actual  needs  as  would  field  experience,  and  for  this 
reason  the  importance  of  time  and  facilities  for  furlough 
study  were  strongly  emphasized.  On  the  other  hand,  many 
missionaries  besides  our  correspondents  have  had  the  ex- 
perience that  special  study  postponed  until  furlough  was 
crowded  out  altogether  by  health  reasons,  the  lack  of  funds. 


40 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


or  the  demands  of  deputation  work.  Several  mentioned 
practical  experience  before  sailing  as  desirable.  Several 
others  suggested  that  the  first  term  of  service  on  the  field 
should  be  shortened,  although  most  of  the  opinions  to  this 
effect  were  expressed  under  the  next  question.  Quotations 
are  as  follows: 

“(a)  Before  sailing,  as  much  all-round  practical  knowledge  as  pos- 
sible (business,  accounting,  building,  teaching,  etc.,  the  more  kinds  the 
better)  ; (b)  on  the  field,  all  language  study;  (c)  furlough  study  for 
medical  and  educational  workers  to  keep  abreast  of  the  times ; also  for 
administrative  officers,  college  presidents,  deans,  etc.” 

“(a)  For  this  field  (Congo),  where  any  special  training  is  valuable, 
I think  it  would  be  well  for  the  candidate  to  specialize  on  one  or  two 
types  of  work,  following  his  natural  gifts  and  inclinations  as  guide, 
(b)  It  is  impossible  to  lay  down  any  rule  of  recommendation  until  a 
man  has  been  on  the  field  long  enough  to  find  his  place  of  greatest 
usefulness,  (c)  This  should  be  determined  by  the  mission  at  the 
departure  of  the  worker  on  furlough,  and  a recommendation  sent  to 
his  governing  Board.” 

“On  the  field  he  will  have  little  time  for  training  except  in  language 
and  learning  how  to  make  good  in  the  Orient. 

“There  is  slight  opportunity  for  special  training  in  Korea.  The 
work  presses  on  us  too  hard.  Special  training  should  be  obtained 
before  coming  to  the  field.  Furloughs  ought  to  be  reserved  for  ad- 
vanced study  along  the  lines  being  pursued  on  the  field.  The  follow- 
ing kinds  of  special  training  in  the  order  of  value  should  be  secured 
before  sailing:  (a)  a general  Bible  school  course  of  one  year;  (b) 
thorough  knowledge  of  one’s  subject;  (c)  general  knowledge  of  sev- 
eral cognate  branches  of  learning;  (d)  general  knowledge  of  educa- 
tional and  pedagogical  subjects.” 

“The  chief  part  of  a man’s  specialization  must  be  done  before  he 
comes  to  the  field  or  he  will  never  become  a specialist.  The  pressure 
of  the  work  on  the  field  will  make  impossible  any  advanced  speciali- 
zation. He  will  have  to  spend  his  furlough  bringing  himself  up  to 
date.” 

“This  field  (Siam)  offers  practically  no  opportunities  for  special 
training  except  reading  and  classroom  work.  It  is  rather  the  excep- 
tion that  a man  on  furlough  is  free  to  do  much  of  this  work.  Before 
sailing  is  the  best  time.” 


41 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


“It  is  not  safe  to  give  any  man  a specialized  training  for  missionary 
work  who  is  not  by  nature  versatile  and  adaptable.” 

“Teachers  should  have  before  sailing  a college  course,  at  least  a 
year  of  special  study  of  education,  and  a year  or  two  of  actual  teach- 
ing. On  the  field  a great  deal  of  study  is  possible,  and  if  an  autono- 
mous teaching  corps  could  be  formed,  with  authority  over  its  mem- 
bers, this  study  could  be  systematized  and  increased  very  greatly. 
During  furlough  a teacher  ought  to  be  required  to  spend  at  least  part 
of  his  time  in  study,  unless  his  health  is  broken.” 

“Get  your  theory  of  tropical  medicine  at  Harvard  in  a six  months’ 
postgraduate  course,  but  see  its  practical  application  in  large  hos- 
pitals here  in  India.  Likewise,  American  pedagogy  should  be  re- 
vamped to  suit  Indian  conditions  by  seeing  the  teacher  training  schools 
here  on  the  field.” 

“This  depends  absolutely  upon  what  the  specialty  is.  But  a special- 
ist before  sailing  ought  to  get  the  fundamentals  and  as  much  prac- 
tical experience  as  possible.  It  would  be  far  better,  however,  if  he 
could  know  the  nature  of  the  problems  on  the  foreign  field  in  his 
particular  line  while  in  training  at  home.” 

“As  I study  your  question,  the  first  furlough  seems  to  me  to  be  the 
key  to  all  your  problems.  No  young  man  in  America  can  be  sure  of 
what  he  ought  to  do  in  Japan.  Give  a missionary  of  good  parts  a 
general  training,  send  him  out  here  for  five  years,  let  him  agonize 
with  the  language,  the  climate,  the  people,  the  policies  of  his  Board, 
and  some  definite  job ; then  give  him  a full  year  or  more  at  home  to 
get  ready  for  his  life  work.  He  will  then  know  on  what  to  specialize.” 
“The  training  to  be  taken  on  furlough  would  depend  entirely  on 
developments.  It  should  be  based  on  the  needs  of  the  mission  con- 
cerned, the  discovered  ability  of  the  missionary,  etc.  It  should  cer- 
tainly include  opportunities  to  get  abreast  of  one’s  specialty.  It  might 
include  advanced  work  in  the  individual  missionary’s  specialty  and 
should  in  general  be  aimed  at  a degree,  as  such  is  valuable  in  its  influ- 
ence upon  the  Chinese.” 

“In  some  cases  I think  it  would  be  wise  for  a missionary  that  had 
been  tried  out  to  return  home  at  the  expense  of  the  Board  to  prepare 
for  sp>ecial  work.” 

“Study  during  furloughs  is  badly  neglected.  Missionaries  come 
back  no  fresher  intellectually  than  when  they  went  home.” 

“The  man  who  figures  that  he  can  by  any  specialized  course  fit 
himself  for  even  a particular  job  out  here  will  be  quickly  disillu- 
sioned. No  matter  how  complete  his  preparation  he  will  run  up 


42 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


against  a brand-new  situation  just  about  every  other  time.  In  other 
words,  adaptability,  ability  to  mobilize  what  resources  you  have,  is  of 
prime  importance.” 

Question  9.  If  special  training  during  furlough  is  desirable,  would 
you  recommend  any  change  in  the  present  furlough  rules  of 
your  Board? 

Thirty-one  correspondents  would  recommend  no  change 
in  the  rules,  a number  of  them  on  the  ground  that  the  present 
rules  were  sufficiently  flexible.  Exactly  the  same  number 
thought  a longer  furlough  desirable,  nineteen  of  these  speci- 
fying only  in  some  cases.  Only  one  suggested  a shorter  fur- 
lough. Twenty-one  recommended  a shorter  term  of  service, 
and  nine  others  arrangements  for  a shorter  term  in  special 
cases.  Twelve  more  demanded  merely  some  provision  for 
special  cases.  One  Board  secretary  remarked  that  financial 
assistance  was  given ; twelve  missionaries  that  it  was  needed. 
Eleven  thought  that  protection  was  needed  in  the  form  of  a 
recommendation  from  the  mission  for  those  who  should 
study.  Fourteen  mentioned  the  large  amount  of  deputation 
work  as  a drawback.  Seven  merely  stated  that  plenty  of 
time  should  be  allowed  for  study. 

These  replies  were  distributed  fairly  evenly  among  the 
different  types  of  correspondents,  but  a larger  proportion  of 
educationalists  were  in  favor  of  a shorter  term  and  less  depu- 
tation work.  In  general  it  would  appear  that,  while  the 
present  furlough  rules  are  acceptable  to  many  because  they 
are  flexible,  the  question  of  shorter  terms,  longer  furloughs, 
financial  assistance,  and  freedom  from  deputation  work 
should  be  carefully  considered  by  Boards.  Quotations  are 
as  follows: 

“I  certainly  would  recommend  (1)  recognition  of  the  value  of  such 
study.  Missionaries  must  grow  or  lose  their  influence.  (2)  Adjust- 
ment of  furlough  to  the  special  needs  of  such  furlough  study.  (3) 
The  granting  when  needed  of  special  funds.” 


43 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


“Much  more  freedom  to  study  and  investigate,  and  an  insistence  on 
a careful  report  on  the  study  done.” 

“Make  some  special  financial  arrangement  whereby  the  missionary 
may  be  able  to  meet  the  expenses  of  the  school.  Most  missionaries 
would  welcome  the  chance  for  more  school  work  if  they  could  have 
enough  to  live  on  in  school  centers.” 

“The  most  obvious  recommendation  would  be  adequate  financial 
provision.  The  average  missionary  simply  cannot  possibly  afford  to 
take  up  this  work  at  home  if  he  is  married.” 

“Unless  a man  has  some  source  of  income  other  than  his  salary,  he 
cannot  afford  to  do  more  than  a bare  minimum  of  school  work  during 
the  time  that'  he  is  on  furlough.  What  our  Board  gave  me  did  little 
more  than  cover  my  travel  expenses  to  the  university.” 

“Let  the  furlough  be  considered  primarily  a year  of  study  as  soon 
as  health  requirements  are  met.  As  soon  as  the  doctor  permits,  the 
missionary  should  begin  study  of  his  specialty,  consulting  with  Board 
secretaries  as  to  institutions  and  courses.  Full  tuition  for  courses 
approved  by  the  Board  should  be  paid  by  the  Board.” 

. “If  specialists  are  to  be  developed  or  to  be  kept  as  specialists,  might 
not  the  question  of  finance  be  considered  by  Boards,  that  is,  the  finan- 
cing of  special  furlough  study  or  travel  and  during  the  term  of  service, 
also  of  local  travel  and  books?” 

“That  the  Board  on  request  of  a mission  grant  a special  furlough  in 
exceptional  cases,  as  when  a missionary  is  appointed  to  a special  posi- 
tion for  which  he  has  not  the  training  needed.” 

“Furloughs  should  be  at  the  end  of  five  and  a half  years  for  a 
period  suited  to  each  case,  at  the  discretion  of  the  mission.” 

“In  the  case  of  specially  trained  men  at  least,  I should  say  that  they 
ought  to  come  home  after  the  first  five  years  and  should  be  given  a 
year,  a year  and  a half,  or  if  possible  two  years  of  study  along  their 
lines.” 

“The  first  furlough  should  come  early,  say,  after  five  years.  All 
furloughs  should  be  for  six  months  in  the  United  States,  to  be  ex- 
tended for  (a)  health  reasons,  (b)  special  study,  (c)  deputation 
work.” 

“As  far  as  policy  and  the  conditions  of  the  mission  permit,  such  a 
man  should  be  allowed  special  furlough  privileges.  I should  recom- 
mend a furlough  at  the  end  of  five  years  or  even  four  for  special  study 
only.  Details  of  study  should  be  arranged  by  Boards  or  in  consulta- 
tion with  them  before  the  furlough  is  granted.” 

“For  specialists  in  subjects  such  as  science,  which  are  rapidly 


44 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


changing,  the  term  of  service  should  be  five  years,  with  extra  time 
on  furlough  for  catching  up  with  his  subject.  This  is  impossible  on 
the  field  no  matter  how  much  he  reads.  Out  there  the  whole  atmos- 
phere is  different.” 

“I  think  the  first  furlough  at  least  should  be  taken  after  three  or 
four  years  on  the  field,  and  should  last  through  an  academic  year,  and 
that  little  deputation  work  should  be  asked  during  this  furlough.” 

“Men  in  educational  work  need  more  frequent  furloughs,  as  edu- 
cational theory  and  practice  are  advancing  so  rapidly,  and  with  the 
present  infrequent  furloughs  they  cannot  keep  up  with  the  develop- 
ment of  their  profession.” 

“Whenever  a good  speaker  or  money-raiser  from  the  field  is  needed 
by  his  Board  for  campaign  work  at  home,  as  is  often  the  case,  the 
time  given  to  that  work  should  be  counted  as  a part  of  the  mission- 
ary’s regular  service  and  not  deducted  from  the  furlough  period.  The 
furlough  should  be  in  addition  to  such  service  time  at  home.  . . . 
Many  missionaries  would  be  glad  to  make  use  of  part  of  a furlough 
period  in  special  study  on  the  field,  study  that  would  give  them  a 
broader  as  well  as  a deeper  grasp  of  the  work  directly  before  them.” 


IV.  The  Administrative  Problems  Involved  as 
Viewed  on  the  Field  and  at  the  Home  Base 

1.  Statements  relating  to  the  Process  of  Selecting  Candidates 
with  Special  Training 

The  next  three  questions  sought  to  draw  out  suggestions 
as  to  the  selection  of  candidates  with  special  training  and 
administrative  methods  for  the  field. 

Question  10.  Can  you  suggest  any  precautions  by  which  specialists 
unfit  for  effective  missionary  work  might  be  rejected  by  Boards? 

The  recommendations  may  be  summarized  under  three 
general  heads : ( 1 ) a closer  personal  knowledge  of  the  candi- 
dates, with  earlier  contact;  (2)  a more  careful  examination 
of  the  home  record  (some  practical  testing  if  possible)  ; (3) 
stricter  demands  as  to  qualifications,  such  as  the  ability  to 

45 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


get  along  with  others,  high  spiritual  qualifications,  ability  to 
apply  knowledge  in  a practical  way,  adaptability,  missionary 
zeal,  willingness  to  undertake  what  is  most  needed.  In  gen- 
eral the  replies  are  characterized  more  by  common  sense 
than  by  originality,  but  they  add  to  the  responsibility  of 
Boards  in  selecting  and  testing  their  candidates  with  greater 
care.  Quotations  are  as  follows: 

“Every  candidate  should  be  observ'ed  closely  for  a long  time  before 
being  sent,  much  more  closely  and  carefully  than  at  present.  Note 
the  methods  of  Standard  Oil  and  of  National  City  Bank.  This  applies 
to  all  missionaries,  not  only  specialists.” 

“More  careful  study  of  the  ne'w  missionary’s  dossier.  Greater  in- 
sistance  upon  truthful  letters  of  recommendation.  Some  of  these  let- 
ters are  little  short  of  gross  misrepresentations.” 

“I  feel  that  the  primary  purpose  of  the  missionary  movement  will 
fail  of  attainment  if  we  do  not  insist  that  men  and  women  chosen  for 
special  positions  are  people  of  well-grounded  Christian  character,  of 
undoubted  evangelistic  zeal,  having  even  a greater  desire  to  see  their 
pupils  become  repentant  and  believing  than  to  see  them  become  com- 
petent in  their  specialty.” 

“But  in  any  case  the  point  needs  emphasizing  that  the  specially 
trained  missionary  needs  the  same  Christian  characteristics,  the  same 
absolute  devotion  to  the  welfare  of  the  people  to  whom  he  goes,  the 
same  facility  in  cheerful  cooperation  with  others  that  the  ordinary 
missionary  does.  He  is  not  a specially  privileged  person  in  any  sense.” 
“Mr.  Turner  speaks  of  the  pressure  on  Boards  to  waive  to  some 
extent  the  importance  of  certain  fundamental  qualifications  of  motive 
and  earnestness  of  purpose  to  become  aggressive  spiritual  leaders, 
provided  the  candidates  have  the  professional  qualifications.  I think 
the  danger  of  waiving  such  fundamental  qualifications  cannot  be  over- 
estimated. The  harm  done  by  such  a missionary  is  incalculable.” 

“My  long  years  of  thought  and  struggle  here  have  led  me  to  believe 
that  what  the  missions  need  is  fewer  but  better-picked  and  trained 
men  from  abroad.” 

“Examination  by  specialists  along  the  same  line  as  to  the  appli- 
cant’s ability  to  apply  his  knowledge  and  to  adapt  it  to  new  conditions.” 
“Have  him  meet  for  prolonged  interviews  with  persons  doing  the 
same  sort  of  work  that  he  looks  forward  to  on  the  field,  and  let  the 


46 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


veteran  test  him.  A second  best  thing  would  be  to  have  specialists 
in  his  line  meet  with  him  and  a special  committee  at  the  Board  rooms 
for  a sort  of  Ph.D.  raking.” 

“Look  up  his  record  in  religious  and  social  work  at  home.  If  he 
has  been  so  busy  at  his  specialty  that  he  could  not  see  anything  else, 
he  does  not  belong  out  here.  Size  up  especially  his  ability  to  work 
with  others  and  to  defer  to  their  opinion  when  they  differ  from  him, 
especially  when  based  on  wider  experience.” 

“Such  candidates  should  be  tried  out  in  America.  I know  a kin- 
dergarten training  teacher  in  a certain  field  who  had  never  had  charge 
of  a kindergarten  for  a day  before  she  began  to  try  to  train  other 
kindergartners.” 

“For  Japan  the  following  qualifications  are  necessary:  (1)  a rich 
sympathy  with  and  ability  to  enter  into  the  problems  of  others;  (2)  a 
real  culture  back  of  the  missionary  who  settles  in  a Japanese  city. 
The  problem  seems  to  be  to  combine  culture  with  the  desire  and 
capacity  for  hard  work.  Too  often  the  will  to  sacrifice  is  in  inverse 
ratio  to  culture  and  personal  charm.  The  combination,  if  to  it  is 
added  unselfishness,  is  irresistible.  Culture  is  as  essential  for  the 
wife  as  for  the  husband.  The  springs  of  effective  service  are  in  the 
home.  (3)  Family  problems  are  constantly  arising.  Not  infrequently 
the  wife  is  feeling  the  pain  of  separation  from  home  associations,  and 
seems  to  need  more  attention  from  the  husband  than  he  should  give. 
It  may  take  years  to  make  the  adjustment.  Also  not  infrequently 
young  wives  are  brought  out  by  men  with  less  knowledge  of  how  to 
take  care  of  these  sensitive  creatures  than  a farmer  has  of  caring  for 
colts.  Children  come  without  proper  preparation.  No  forethought 
is  taken  before  marriage  of  how  children  are  to  be  educated  after  they 
grow  up.  Such  family  problems  often  take  missionaries  from  their 
work  at  the  height  of  their  efficiency.” 

“Add  a clause  indicating  the  need  of  evidence  of  the  capacity  based 
on  the  actual  experience  of  the  candidate,  to  adjust  happily  and  easily 
in  relations  with  fellow  workers,  so  that  humble  and  hearty  coopera- 
tion is  made  possible.  Getting  along  with  other  folks  is  about  the 
most  important  quality  in  a missionary  candidate.” 


47 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


2.  Statements  relating  to  Adjustments  on  the  Field  making 
the  use  of  such  Candidates  more  general 

Question  11.  Are  there  any  administrative  arrangements  by  which 
your  mission  might  be  able  to  make  better  use  of  desirable  can- 
didates with  special  training? 

The  suggestions  made  in  reply  to  this  query  are  summar- 
ized below : 

(1)  The  more  definite  study  and  forecast  of  policies  by 
missions  on  the  field.  It  seems  to  be  felt  that  present  methods 
could  be  considerably  improved.  This  matter  has  been  re- 
peatedly urged  in  discussions  on  this  subject  with  apparently 
little  effect.  Commission  V of  the  Edinburgh  World  Mis- 
sionary Conference  says:  “Surprises  will  come,  of  course, 
and  forecasts  fail.  But  better  to  have  failure  of  actual  fore- 
casts than  failure  more  frequent  and  disastrous  through  lack 
of  them”  (pp.  205-206).  It  is  time  that  greater  pressure 
was  put  on  missions  at  least  to  experiment  in  this  line. 

(2)  A larger  provision  for  such  forecasts,  more  time  to  be 
spent  by  individuals  in  fitting  persons  to  places,  field  com- 
mittees more  carefully  selected  for  this  work,  and  more 
specialized  knozvledge  of  needs.  This  strikes  at  the  center 
of  the  whole  problem.  On  the  one  hand,  there  is  abundant 
testimony  as  to  the  increasing  need  for  specialized  training 
on  the  field;  on  the  other,  patent  evidence  of  a growing  sup- 
ply of  such  training  on  the  part  of  candidates.  The  question 
is,  can  we  and  shall  we  create  the  machinery  to  help  the  sup- 
ply to  minister  more  effectively  to  the  demand?  Not  the 
organism  of  the  greatest  size  and  most  massive  muscles,  but 
that  with  the  best  developed  nervous  system  wins  in  the 
struggle  for  existence.  The  missionary  enterprise  has  come 
to  the  point  where  it  can  well  give  more  thought  to  its  most 
effective  organization  as  opposed  to  the  mere  multiplication 
of  workers.  The  training  and  placing  of  candidates  must 
be  more  efficiently  coordinated. 


48 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


(3)  Inter-mission  relationships  as  to  specialised  zvork. 
Some  types  of  specialists  might  find  insufficient  scope  in  a 
single  mission,  for  instance,  architects,  dentists,  etc.  The 
advantage  of  combination  in  institutions  of  higher  educa- 
tion is  obvious. 

(4)  A more  adequate  staff  to  permit  missionaries  to  zvork 
to  best  advantage  and  insure  continuity  of  policy.  The  suc- 
cess of  specialized  work  depends  on  continuous  supervision. 
If  it  ceases  entirely  when  the  only  man  with  a knowledge  of 
it  goes  on  furlough  for  a year  or  more,  or  if,  owing  to  under- 
staffing, he  is  called  upon  to  do  general  work,  no  sound  de- 
velopment can  be  expected.  Such  breaks  may  be  partly 
avoided  by  a more  careful  anticipation  of  needs,  by  larger 
units  so  that  substitutes  may  be  drawn  from  a wider  field, 
or  possibly  by  sending  out  to  language  schools  on  the  field 
unassigned  workers  with  various  types  of  special  training 
that  are  most  needed,  to  be  called  upon  in  cases  of  emergency. 

(5) .  The  eai’lier  appointment  and  more  specific  training  of 
missionaries,  which  can  be  made  possible  only  by  more  defi- 
nite policies.  A majority  inclined  to  the  view  that  those  who 
have  volunteered  should  be  given  special  training  rather  than 
that  those  with  special  training  should  be  urged  to  volunteer, 
but  a few  represented  the  latter  opinion. 

The  matter  of  earlier  appointment  and  assignment  pre- 
sents some  special  difficulties,  but  it  has  great  advantages 
from  the  standpoint  of  special  training.  The  main  argu- 
ment against  it  is  that  unforeseen  changes  are  so  apt  to  take 
place.  Special  needs  and  vacancies  may  arise,  which  can- 
not be  filled  by  candidates  who  are  mortgaged  to  other  po- 
sitions. Volunteers  appointed  early  may  not  develop  as  was 
expected  or  may  lose  their  missionary  purpose.  They  can- 
not be  assured  of  positions  on  the  field  in  any  event,  owing 
to  emergencies  or  failure  to  make  good.  They  must  be  under 
the  final  control  of  their  mission  or  bishop  to  be  placed  where 
they  are  most  needed.  They  cannot  possibly  anticipate  the 


49 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


actual  needs  of  the  field  and  had  better  defer  training  until 
they  have  met  the  situation. 

On  the  other  hand,  it  may  be  said  that  the  difficulties  and 
dangers  are  not  by  any  means  all  on  the  one  side.  The  need 
for  certain  kinds  of  training  is  so  great  as  affirmed  by  our 
correspondents  that  something  must  be  risked  in  order  to 
secure  it.  It  is  unfair,  both  to  the  work  and  to  the  workers, 
if  for  administrative  convenience  men  should  be  sent  out 
without  special  training  in  education  and  other  lines.  There 
are  broader  types  of  specialization  which  fit  men  for  a fairly 
wide  range  of  positions  and  confer  greater  efficiency  in  all 
of  these.  Volunteers  must  understand  that  whatever  their 
type  of  training,  acceptance  by  the  Board  always  depends 
on  their  fulfilling  the  personal  and  spiritual  requirements. 
It  is  probable  that  those  who  are  encouraged  to  prepare  for 
a definite  field  or  type  of  work  will  be  less  apt  to  lose  their 
missionary  interest  than  those  whose  aims  are  less  concrete. 
While  leeway  must  always  be  allowed  for  emergencies,  a 
large  body  of  our  correspondents  seem  to  feel  that  the  poli- 
cies of  both  Boards  and  missions  along  this  line  might  be 
considerably  improved.  Finally,  because  all  needs  cannot 
be  anticipated  by  previous  training,  it  is  surely  absurd  to  act 
as  if  none  of  them  could.  A more  careful  study  of  needs  and 
provision  for  training  can  do  much  to  bring  about  a better 
adjustment.  Quotations  are  as  follows: 

“There  is  an  immense  amount  of  useless  duplication  on  the  field, 
which  weakens  rather  than  helps  the  specialized  men.  More  team 
work  would  be  possible  if  the  Boards  helped  to  urge  such  things.” 

“There  is  much  work  here  (United  States)  to  call  for  the  entire 
time  of  a man  who  could  keep  in  touch  with  the  special  needs  of  all 
the  fields  and  study  to  find  the  right  men  and  women  to  fill  such 
needs.” 

“Boards  should  have  secretaries  who  not  only  look  after  special 
fields,  but  after  special  work.  It  is  a vicious  system  which  compels 
a mission  to  decide  between  an  evangelistic  missionary  and  a fully 
qualified  professor  for  a missionary  college.  The  chances  are  that 

50 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


the  evangelist  will  be  sent  out  and  will  be  given  work  in  the  college 
for  which  he  is  not  fitted.” 

“To  use  specialists  successfully  we  require  higher  organization.  The 
power  of  assignment  of  missionaries  should  be  in  the  hands  of  a 
carefully  selected  and  responsible  committee.  Each  institution  should 
have  a constitution  with  a definite  organization  of  staff.  The  mission 
and  each  of  its  institutions  should  have  a well-defined  policy  and  plan 
of  development  that  will  enable  it  to  know  its  needs  in  advance.” 

“In  regard  to  the  matter  of  specially  training  missionaries,  I am  of 
the  opinion  that  certain  changes  in  policy  might  be  advisable.  First, 
I think  it  would  be  well  for  candidates  to  apply  to  mission  Boards 
and  in  fact  receive  an  appointment  before  their  special  training  is  com- 
pleted. Such  a policy  would  give  the  Board  the  right  to  offer  sugges- 
tions in  regard  to  the  training  and  in  large  part  to  oversee  definitely 
the  preparation  of  the  candidate.  To  do  this  effectively  there  would 
be  necessary  (a)  a sympathetic  understanding  of  the  situation  on  the 
field,  deeper  than  that  which  at  present  obtains.  The  Board  would 
have  to  give  a relatively  larger  share  of  its  time  to  a study  of  the 
problems  on  the  field,  instead  of  concentrating  so  much  on  the  home 
base  side  of  things.  Probably  new  machinery,  both  at  home  and  on 
the  field,  would  have  to  be  devised,  but  this  is  demanded  by  other 
matters  in  connection  with  mission  work,  (b)  It  would  also  be  neces- 
sary for  the  Board  and  for  the  mission  to  work  out  jointly  a con- 
structive policy  covering  several  years  in  advance.  It  would  be  neces- 
sary to  do  away  with  the  policy  of  accepting  a candidate,  but  not 
appointing  him  definitely  to  a certain  field  until  just  before  sailing. 
From  the  standpoint  of  preparation  and  indeed  from  other  standpoints 
I consider  this  a pernicious  practice.  Candidates  would  be  accepted 
and  enter  into  training  at  the  direction  of  the  Board,  acting  on  the 
advice  of  the  mission,  (c)  It  might  be  advisable  for  the  Board  to  pay 
part  of  the  education  expenses  of  the  candidate  while  taking  special 
training;  at  least  scholarships  in  certain  schools  or  universities  might 
be  maintained.  . . . Granted  that  Ph.D.  work  is  done  along  some 
line  which  in  itself  is  not  too  narrow,  it  makes  a most  admirable  prep- 
aration for  a missionary  who  is  to  lead  or  be  a specialist.” 

“We  are  in  the  transition  stage  between  the  era  of  individualistic 
work  and  the  era  of  cooperation.  The  days  of  guerrilla  warfare  are 
passing.  We  are  supposed)  to  be  an  army,  but  we  resemble  no  army 
except  the  Russian  army,  where  they  debate  the  orders  and  obey  them 
or  not  as  they  like.  We  feel  the  need  of  greater  concentration  and 
more  expert  direction,  and  are  working  towards  it,  though  we  are 


51 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


afraid  of  giving  anybody  any  real  authority  over  us.  We  need  a gen- 
eral staff,  but  we  have  not  got  men  big  enough  to  form  it.  . . . Here 
in  the  mission  field  we  elect  men  to  various  committees  and  councils 
for  divers  reasons : this  one  because  he  is  the  senior  missionary ; that 
one  because  he  is  a pillar  of  orthodoxy;  that  one  because  he  is  timid 
and  quiet  and  so  will  do  no  harm ; another  because  he  is  the  least  busy 
in  his  station  and  so  can  be  spared  most  easily ; another  because  he  is 
a good  logroller  for  his  station.  We  still  count  votes  instead  of  weigh- 
ing them.  Mediocrity  rules.  No  one  is  encouraged  to  become  a real 
expert  or  given  a real  chance  to  become  one.  Scarcely  any  one  knows 
how  to  study  a subject  scientifically  and  those  who  do  are  prevented 
from  doing  it.  So  we  muddle  along.  The  question  of  special  training 
is  not  a small  nor  isolated  one.  It  must  apply  all  along  the  line. 
Somehow  we  must  advance  from  the  place  where  everything  is  de- 
cided by  the  average  men,  and  reach  the  stage  where  things  are 
planned  by  those  best  qualified  to  do  so.” 

“If  lists  of  needs  are  made  out  several  years  in  advance  by  mis- 
sions, and  provision  is  made  for  sending  candidates  sufficiently  far 
ahead  for  them  to  have  two  years  of  language  study  before  entering 
upon  their  work,  that  is,  before  the  position  which  they  are  to  fill  is 
supposed  to  be  vacant,  there  will  not  be  so  many  emergency  calls, 
people  breaking  down  prematurely,  etc.,  and  when  the  emergencies 
come  there  will  always  be  a reserve  to  draw  upon.” 

“Any  amount  of  specialization  is  sure  to  be  useful,  but  no  mission- 
ary is  going  to  be  able  to  stay  inside  of  his  special  field  with  the  pres- 
ent force  at  work  and  the  present  opportunities  open  before  us.” 

“It  would  seem  feasible  to  have  the  missionaries  divided  into  dis- 
tinct corps,  such  as  the  evangelistic,  educational,  medical,  etc.,  each 
corps  having  a much  larger  amount  of  autonomy  than  now  obtains, 
and  no  person  being  transferable  to  another  corps  without  his  own 
consent  and  the  consent  of  his  corps.  Let  the  educational  mission- 
aries have  the  full  responsibility  for  the  educational  work  of  the 
Mission,  give  them  larger  powers,  and  hold  them  to  stricter  account- 
ability.” 

“Division  of  work  and  all  other  arrangements  that  will  give  the 
specially  trained  man  a free  hand  to  do  his  work.  Too  many  details 
must  always  be  referred  for  Mission  decision  to  make  effective  work 
possible.  Hand  the  work  over  to  the  man  when  he  comes ; have 
home  provision  for  the  exercise  of  initiative.” 

“Make  sure  that  the  specialist  shall  give  his  time  mainly  to  his 
specialty  and  save  him  from  having  to  hew  the  Mission’s  wood  and 

52 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


draw  its  water.  Especially  save  him  from  the  mazes  and  weariness 
of  Mission  accounts  and  correspondence.” 

“It  makes  me  feel  sad  to  see  so  many  young  girls  having  to  shoulder 
the  heavy  responsibilities  they  do.  It  is  good  neither  for  them  nor  for 
the  schools.” 

"I  think  that  sometimes  there  is  a determination  to  keep  as  many 
men  as  possible,  so  that  they  can  be  shifted  like  handy  men  to  fill  gaps. 
This  is  unfair  to  the  man,  who  is  usually,  ruined  by  the  process,  and 
unfair  to  the  work,  which  is  also  ruined  or  seriously  injured  by  the 
presence  and  well-meaning  efforts  of  such  men.” 

“It  seems  to  me  the  greatest  hindrance  to  our  forward  movement 
is  the  constant  shifting  of  the  plan  of  work  to  suit  the  personal  in- 
clinations or  talents  of  the  missionary  appointed.” 

“A  man  who  has  made  good  in  his  specialty  in  an  American  college 
should  be  invited  as  arbitrarily  and  as  definitely  to  go  to  a missionary 
college  as  he  would  be  to  another  college  at  home.  This  is  done  in 
some  cases,  I know.  It  should  be  the  general  rule.  I do  not  think 
that  missionary  consecration  is  of  a kind  and  quality  entirely  distinct 
from  any  other  consecration  to  Christian  work.” 

Question  12.  Would  it  be  practicable  for  your  Mission  to  make  over 
to  the  Boards  at  home  the  assignment  of  missionaries  with 
specialized  training  to  their  tasks,  with  the  understanding  that 
the  candidates  should  not  be  set  to  do  other  types  of  work  with- 
out their  own  consent? 

This  question  may  have  been  unfortunately  worded,  as  it 
drew  out  a great  variety  of  reactions.  Some  correspondents 
accepted  it  with  enthusiasm;  others  rejected  it  with  vehe- 
mence. The  opinions  were  quite  equally  divided.  Twenty- 
seven  assented  to  the  proposal  as  stated;  seven  others  as- 
serted that  it  was  already  practically  the  rule  of  their  mis- 
sion ; seven  more  that  it  was  sometimes  done ; two  more  that 
it  might  be  done  under  certain  conditions;  and  six  more  in 
certain  cases;  a total  of  forty-nine  formally  in  the  affirma- 
tive, with  or  without  qualifications.  Thirty  replied  in  the 
negative  and  two  more  were  very  emphatic;  three  others 
stated  that  missionaries  must  do  what  is  needed;  five  made 
emergencies  an  exception;  eight  could  not  assent  without  a 


53 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


larger  force  available  on  the  field;  forty-eight  were  there- 
fore inclined  to  reject  the  statement.  Eleven  others  be- 
lieved that  the  candidate  should  not  be  set  to  do  another 
type  of  work  without  his  consent  and  implied  that  the  mis- 
sion should  control.  They  therefore  accepted  one  part  of 
the  proposal  and  rejected  the  other.  Ten  more  were  doubt- 
ful, suggested  a compromise,  or  would  assent  only  in  very 
exceptional  cases.  There  is  evidently  no  rule  on  this  sub- 
ject, and  it  would  seem  that  the  proposal  has  been  both  quite 
successful  and  the  reverse.  The  difficulty  in  Board  assign- 
ment was  recognized  by  many  on  both  sides.  Some  who 
formally  assented  so  qualified  their  statements  as  to  make 
them  practically  negatives,  and  others  who  formally  dis- 
sented were  evidently  in  sympathy  with  the  suggestion. 
There  was  general  recognition  of  the  facts  that  mission- 
aries should  be  consulted  and  their  consent  secured  as  to 
their  assignment  and,  on  the  other  hand,  that  such  consent 
should  not  be  withheld  if  the  requests  were  reasonable.  This 
is  one  of  the  topics  on  which  discussions  in  missionary  gath- 
erings at  home  and  on  the  field  might  throw  light.  Quota- 
tions are  as  follows: 

“Yes,  if  a definite  policy  is  agreed  upon  and  a larger  staff  provided, 
and  if  the  candidate  is  amenable  to  appeals  to  drop  his  special  work 
to  meet  an  emergency  in  view  of  some  larger  temporary  need.” 

“I  believe  that  the  unity  of  action  of  the  Mission  and  of  its  mem- 
bers is  immeasurably  more  important  than  the  possible  gain  to  the 
work  that  would  accrue  from  the  ability  of  the  Board  to  promise  a 
candidate  that  he  should  have  work  only  in  his  special  line,  irrespective 
of  the  opinion  of  his  fellow  workers.  . . . To  put  the  candidate 
outside  of  the  power  of  the  Mission  to  take  such  action  would,  it 
seems  to  me,  in  many  cases  be  to  erect  a wall  of  separation  between 
him  and  his  fellow  workers  which  would  be  disastrous.” 

“The  Board  at  home  should  have  the  right  to  appoint  a specialist 
to  a definite  work,  and  the  Mission  should  have  no  right  to  interfere 
with  that  appointment.  Candidates  at  home  and  the  younger  mis- 
sionaries, that  is,  specialists,  on  the  field  feel  this  to  be  a reform  in 


54 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


missionary  policy  which  is  urgently  needed  and  I believe  it  has  a big 
influence  on  recruitment.” 

“For  some  of  the  highly  specialized  jobs,  unless  the  person  quali- 
fied to  do  them  is  promised  that  particular  work,  he  will  not  become 
a missionary.  Therefore,  if  the  work  is  to  be  done  it  must  be  done 
by  missionaries  with  appointment  to  that  special  work  and  not  sub- 
ject to  the  waves  of  emotion  that  sweep  Missions  at  annual  meetings 
and  often  close  a good  work  to  transfer  a man  to  a work  for  which 
he  has  neither  training  nor  desire.” 

“So  often  a Mission  sees  only  a vacancy  to  be  filled,  with  only  one 
man  or  woman  to  fill  it.” 

3.  Statements  relating  to  Administrative  Methods  at  the 

Home  Base 

Question  13.  To  v^hat  extent  do  you  undertake  to  guarantee  to  can- 
didates with  special  training  positions  on  the  field  which  will 
provide  scope  for  their  training? 

There  were  only  fourteen  replies  from  Board  secretaries 
in  all  and  some  of  these  were  rather  vague,  so  that  it  was 
difficult  to  draw  any  competent  conclusions.  Of  the  few  who 
replied  with  definiteness,  a majority  indicated  that  their 
Boards  furnished  to  specialists  practical  assurance  that  they 
would  be  given  the  type  of  work  for  which  they  had  pre- 
pared themselves.  A minority  stated  that  no  assurance  was 
given,  but  the  answers  on  both  sides  were  too  few  to  make 
the  figures  significant. 

Question  14.  Is  it  the  general  policy  of  your  Board  to  direct  a can- 
didate with  special  training  which  you  cannot  use  to  some 
other  Board,  or  to  try  to  induce  him  to  remain  with  you  for 
general  work? 

There  were  only  eleven  replies.  Most  of  them  stated  that 
candidates  under  the  circumstances  would  be  directed  to 
other  Boards,  but  there  were  qualifying  phrases  which  im- 
plied that  this  would  be  more  certain  if  the  Boards  were 
unable  to  send  the  applicants  or  to  use  them.  Only  two 

55 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


Boards  of  those  replying  would  apparently  make  a princi- 
ple of  holding  workers  for  their  own  churches.  On  these 
matters  a further  candid  discussion  would  be  desirable. 

V.  The  Case  for  Specialization 

1.  Certain  Current  hut  Erroneous  Opinions 

In  considering  the  whole  subject,  it  appears  that  there 
are  certain  statements  widely  current  which  may  do  great 
damage  because  they  are  often  made  in  a form  which  en- 
ables them  to  be  utilized  at  more  than  their  face  value.  Some 
of  these  are  as  follows: 

(a)  General  ability  is  more  important  than  special  train- 
ing.— This  on  the  face  of  it  is  perfectly  true.  But  there  is 
no  estimate  of  the  relative  importance  of  special  training 
except  that  it  is  less.  It  might  be  one  per  cent  or  ninety- 
nine  per  cent.  The  statement,  however,  is  often  quoted  in 
such  a way  as  to  imply  that  the  value  of  special  training  is 
almost  negligible.  The  implication  is  entirely  unwarranted, 
especially  in  view  of  our  testimony,  and  until  much  stronger 
evidence  to  support  it  is  forthcoming.  While  special  train- 
ing will  not  compensate  for  general  ability,  it  is  probable 
that  the  average  individual  will  increase  his  effectiveness 
anywhere  from  ten  to  fifty  per  cent  by  certain  kinds  of 
special  training.  This  is  the  really  important  question. 

(b)  Special  training  makes  men  narrow. — Persons  who 
would  applaud  this  statement  would  often  resent  the  as- 
sertion that  broad  training  makes  men  shallow.  One  is 
about  as  true  as  the  other.  Specialized  training  brings  out 
into  relief  the  defects  of  some  natures.  Like  the  center- 
board  of  a yacht,  it  gives  stability  to  others.  The  type  of 
training  is  of  great  importance  iii  this  connection.  Under 
the  head  of  specialization  may  be  included  mechanical  tasks 
like  typesetting,  and  broad  outlooks  like  those  of  the  social 
surveyor  or  educational  supervisor.  So  much  depends  on 


56 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


the  individual  and  on  the  character  of  the  training  that  the 
statement  may  be  very  misleading. 

(c)  No  missionary  training  can  he  made  sufficiently  spe- 
cific to  meet  all  needs. — This  is  strikingly  brought  out  by 
some  of  our  correspondents.  But  this  does  not  imply  that 
specific  preparation  is  of  no  value.  If  it  should  cover  fifty 
per  cent  of  the  cases  it  would  still  be  amply  worth  while. 
The  obvious  policy  is  to  make  a more  thorough  study  of 
field  needs  and  to  shape  training  so  as  to  cover  a larger  per- 
centage of  them.  Too  often  special  training  has  failed  be- 
cause the  missionary  was  selected  and  placed  by  secretaries 
who  had  no  practical  acquaintance  either  with  the  specialty 
or  with  the  conditions  to  be  met. 

(d)  Specialists  are  a failure  on  the  field  in  many  in- 
stances.— Instances  should  be  collected  and  studied  to  dis- 
cover the  danger  points.  But  taken  by  themselves  they  prove 
nothing  except  the  need  for  caution.  Every  one  of  us  can 
probably  recall  cases  in  which  physicians  have  made  false 
diagnoses  and  prescribed  the  wrong  treatment.  We  do  not, 
therefore,  accept  the  advice  of  hard-headed  old  skeptics  to 
keep  away  from  doctors.  The  crucial  question  is  whether 
medical  assistance  in  the  long  run  does  more  harm  than 
good.  If  not,  and  until  we  have  something  better,  we  shall 
do  well  to  employ  it. 

As  in  the  case  of  most  subjects  that  have  never  been  sub- 
mitted to  detailed  investigation,  there  seem  to  be  many  such 
statements  as  the  above  used  by  those  who  make,  or  taken 
by  those  who  read  them,  as  a basis  for  presumptions  that 
are  not  warranted.  An  instance  to  the  point  is  a letter 
quoted  by  Dr.  Speer  in  1915.^  Some  extracts  are  as  follows: 

“My  training  for  missionary  work  was  nil.  ...  I conducted 
the  highest  school  we  have  for  girls  for  six  years,  and  organized  it 

^ Report  of  the  Deputation  of  the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Foreign 
Missions  to  Siam,  the  Philippines,  Japan,  Chosen  and  China,  pp.  495- 
499. 


57 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


for  its  present  high  and  normal  school  work.  I established  the  first 
kindergarten  work  of  the  Mission,  though  I had  had  no  training  for 
any  of  these.  I organized,  without  suggestions  of  any  sort  from  any 
one,  the  Bible  school  which  has  been  training  the  Bible  women  of  the 
Mission  for  twenty-two  years.  I have  built  one  of  the  best  buildings 
in  the  Mission  without  advice  or  assistance,  and  have  just  planned  three 
other  large  buildings,  though  I never  studied  architecture  nor  drafts- 
manship. I have  been  serving  on  the  Finance  Committee  of  the  Mis- 
sion for  years  and  have  been  auditing  the  accounts  of  the  men,  though 
I never  had  a liking  for  mathematics  nor  instruction  in  bookkeeping. 
I taught  myself  double  entry  under  the  pressure  of  the  necessities  of 
the  work.  I had  a very  desultory  education  and  a childhood  experi- 
ence which  would  work  ruin  with  the  best  of  minds,  yet  I acquired  the 
language  and  have  been  serving  on  the  Literature  Committee  for  years. 
. . . All  these  thirty  years  I have  greatly  and  painfully  regretted  the 
lack  of  opportunity,  not  for  special  training,  but  for  the  discipline  of 
general  training — discipline  of  mind  rather  than  of  general  or  technical 
knowledge.  . . . 

“Take  the  case  of  a young  man  fresh  from  college  and  from  busi- 
ness experience  of  a technical  kind.  He  is  put  to  study  the  language, 
but  does  not  apply  himself,  shirks  without  seeming  to  realize  it, 
studies  in  a desultory  way,  allows  his  work  to  give  way  easily  as  if 
in  the  ‘line  of  least  resistance.  . . . Here  there  is  no  lack  of  gen- 

eral and  special  training.  The  lack  is  in  the  want  of  a deep  sense  of 
responsibility  which  makes  a man  willing  to  work  painfully  in  order 
to  achieve  an  object,  and  in  want  of  deep  views  of  moral  obligation 
in  the  choice  of  his  object. 

“Take  the  case  of  one  who  is  reported  to  have  steadily  worked  for 
ten  years  to  fit  herself  to  be  a missionary  doctor.  . . . Her  years 
of  preparation  end  in  fourteen  months  of  discontent  and  inability  to 
fit  into  any  position  with  grace  and  common-sense,  and  Christian  prin- 
ciple moderating  feeling  and  speech.  The  failure  is  in  the  moral 
realm.  . . . 

“Take  the  case  of  one  trained  as  a nurse,  having  experience  in  gen- 
eral hospital  work  and  with  the  insane.  After  this  two  years  as  a 
kindergartner  . . . the  result  was  that  she  never  used  her 

knowledge  as  a nurse  or  a kindergartner  in  any  effective  way.  She 
never  related  her  knowledge  to  her  circumstances.  . . . No  lack 

here  of  knowledge,  special  and  technical.  There  was  a lack  of  sta- 
bility and  of  perseverance  and  of  ability  to  overcome  obstacles  and 
to  achieve  something  in  spite  of  them.  . . . 

58 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


“A  young  woman  who  seems  to  have  special  fitness  for  work  with 
children,  very  highly  experienced  in  school  work,  comes  out  to  take 
charge  of  primary  schools.  Everybody  and  everything  offend  her 
delicate  sensibilities.  . . . Within  two  years  she  went  home  on 

the  verge  of  insanity  without  having  suffered  a single  real  hardship 
or  having  done  a stroke  of  real  work.  . . . Plenty  of  training 

experience,  and  knowledge  here.  Had  there  been  a spirit  strong 
enough,  a mind  balanced  just  enough,  there  were  no  reason  for  such 
a crash.  . . . 

“I  went  to  New  York  ...  in  order  to  see  what  you  were 
doing  and  to  observe  your  methods.  I had  my  own  Bible  school  in 
view  and  was  thinking  I might  improve  on  courses  of  study  or  on 
methods.  I did  neither  as  a result,  because  of  the  large  differences 
of  circumstances  of  the  mental  attainments  of  your  and  my  students. 
The  two  classes  are  on  such  an  absolutely  different  plane.  . . . 

Keep  right  on  with  your  Bible  work,  but  address  your  strongest  efforts 
to  the  spiritual  side  of  your  work  rather  than  to  the  intellectual.  The 
latter  is  highly  necessary,  but  because  I think  every  failure  I have 
seen  on  the  mission  field  has  been  the  result  of  want  of  moral  and 
spiritual  earnestness,  I think  sometimes  we  are  in  danger  of  over- 
emphasizing its  value.” 

Most  of  this  is  admirable  and  should  be  earnestly  con- 
sidered by  missionaries  looking  forward  to  special  work. 
Such  a statement  is  greatly  needed  as  a corrective  to  ex- 
aggerated ideas  of  the  sufficiency  of  intellectual  training. 
But,  like  all  presentations  emphasizing  one  side  of  a case, 
it  may  fall  into  the  hands  of  those  who  need  it  least  and 
confirm  prejudices  already  too  strong.  The  writer  brings 
out  the  following  suggestions:  (1)  there  can  be  conspicu- 
ous success  on  the  foreign  field  without  special  training;  (2) 
she  does  not  regret  her  lack  of  it;  (3)  those  who  have  had 
large  opportunities  along  this  line  may  be  complete  failures ; 

(4)  training  offered  in  America  is  not  adapted  to  field  needs; 

(5)  she  can  think  of  no  failures  due  to  lack  of  intellectual 
training;  (6)  we  are  in  danger  of  overemphasizing  its 
value. 

From  the  standpoint  of  most  missionary  correspondents, 

59 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


this  statement  leaves  something  to  be  said.  Surelj  the  stand- 
ards of  this  lady  are  not  those  of  the  most  thoughtful  mis- 
sionary today,  or  else  her  conditions  are  exceptional,  if  she 
rightly  fails  to  regret  that  she  never  received  any  special 
training.  The  cases  she  quotes  are  not  the  rule,  according 
to  the  testimony  we  have  received,  as  one  might  infer  from 
her  letter  she  considered  them  to  be.  Her  estimate  of  the 
value  of  training  to  be  had  in  America  is  certainly  far  be- 
low that  of  the  average.  The  quotations  from  the  corre- 
spondents cited  above  indicate  that  others  have  known  of 
cases  of  failure  due  to  lack  of  intellectual  training,  if  she  has 
not.  She  has  presented  with  great  truth  and  force  one  side 
of  the  question,  but  not  both  sides. 

2.  General  Principles  Which  Must  always  be  kept  in  Mind 

It  may  be  well  to  sum  up  briefly  certain  facts  with  regard 
to  special  training  which  are  usually  urged  as  arguments 
against  it,  but  which  need  to  be  accompanied  by  other  facts 
in  order  to  arrive  at  a balanced  judgment. 

(a)  Certain  personal  and  spiritual  qualities  and  abilities 
outweigh  in  importance  any  other  qualifications  of  mission- 
ary candidates  and  should  receive  our  first  attention. 

(b)  Those  with  large  general  ability  and  without  special 
training  may  succeed  better  even  along  special  lines  than 
those  with  special  training  and  only  limited  ability. 

(c)  The  defects  of  certain  persons  may  be  accentuated 
by  special  training. 

(d)  No  training  at  home  can  be  expected  to  meet  ade- 
quately all  the  needs  of  the  field. 

(e)  Without  ability  and  practical  efficiency  the  specialist 
is  apt  to  be  of  little  use  on  the  foreign  field. 

(f)  Many  localities  and  types  of  work  on  the  field  will 
be  best  served  by  those  with  general  training. 


60 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


(g)  The  general  work  may  suffer  in  the  hands  of  those 
whose  training  is  specialized. 

At  the  same  time  it  is  also  true: 

(a)  While  certain  personal  qualities  are  surely  indispen- 
sable, the  missionary  force  as  a whole  will  be  more  efficient, 
if  a certain  proportion  of  it  receives  in  addition  special 
training  of  various  kinds. 

(b)  While  special  training  is  no  substitute  for  general 
ability,  it  is  usually  valuable  in  direct  proportion  to  the  abil- 
ity of  the  person  receiving  it. 

(c)  Persons  who  are  spoiled  by  special  training  would 
probably  fail  on  the  foreign  field  in  any  event,  while  those 
who  would  make  good  missionaries  without  special  training 
would  in  most  cases  make  yet  better  missionaries  with  it. 

(d)  While  home  training  cannot  foresee  all  the  possible 
needs  of  the  foreign  field,  we  have  testimony  that  there  are 
many  present  needs  that  cannot  be  adequately  met  without 
such  training. 

(e)  That  lack  of  adaptability  spells  failure  is  not  an  argu- 
ment against  special  training,  but  only  one  for  more  careful 
selection  of  workers. 

(f)  The  testimony  is  very  explicit  that  many  localities 
and  types  of  work  on  the  foreign  field  strongly  demand 
special  training. 

(g)  It  is  also  evident  that  much  special  work  is  suffering 
at  the  hands  of  those  with  only  general  training;  moreover, 
the  assignment  of  an  adequate  staff  of  specially  trained 
workers  would  set  free  general  workers  for  more  effective 
evangelism. 

3.  Constructive  Suggestions  for  the  Consideration  of  Can- 
didates who  have  had  Specialised  Training 

(a)  There  is  a large  and  increasing  need  for  missionaries 
with  specialized  training  of  the  various  types  mentioned 
under  the  comments  on  question  1 (pp.  15-25).  Let  no 


61 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


young  person  who  has  received  any  of  these  kinds  of  train- 
ing therefore  despair  of  finding  a place  on  the  foreign  field 
under  some  Board  or  other. 

(b)  In  view,  however,  of  the  difficulties  connected  with  the 
use  of  workers  with  specialized  training,  as  set  forth  above 
on  pages  56-61,  those  looking  forward  to  the  foreign  field 
who  have  not  yet  commenced  special  preparation  should 
consult  in  advance  with  the  Boards  to  whom  they  expect  to 
offer  themselves,  to  discover  the  relative  need  of  different 
kinds  of  training.  They  may  thus  forestall  the  disappoint- 
ment of  rejection  later  by  the  Board  of  their  choice. 

(c)  Where  special  abilities  and  circumstances  indicate 
that  a certain  type  of  qualified  service  needed  on  the  foreign 
field  is  unquestionably  the  department  in  which  a particular 
individual  can  render  his  best  service,  and  the  Board  of  his 
choice  has  no  place  to  offer,  it  may  be  worth  considering 
whether  such  a one  may  not  better  apply  to  more  than  one 
Board  rather  than  accept  a line  of  work  for  which  he  is  not 
fitted.  This  should  always  be  done  after  consultation  and 
with  the  approval  of  his  own  Board. 

(d)  It  is  desirable  that  the  foreign  missionary  should 
have  a broad  culiural  basis — in  most  instances  the  equivalent 
of  an  American  college  course.  An  exception  exists  in  the 
case  of  builders,  bookkeepers,  printers,  and  other  such  skilled 
helpers.  This  does  not  imply  that  all  college  work  should 
be  on  general  subjects.  In  many  cases  more  or  less  special- 
ized work  may  be  done  in  the  undergraduate  years.  The 
courses  chosen  should  be  those  which  have  to  do  with  mod- 
ern thought  and  progress,  which  supply  interest  in  present 
social  situations  and  ability  to  interpret  them,  rather  than 
courses  of  a more  abstract  and  formal  type.  Habits  of  in- 
tellectual initiative  and  self-cultivation  are  most  important. 
Courses  in  Bible  study  and  the  fundamentals  of  Christianity 
are  very  desirable.  The  equivalent  of  a year  of  theological 
training,  with  omission  of  the  more  technical  subjects,  would 


62 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  M,ISSIONARIES 

be  an  excellent  investment  for  every  specialist  who  could 
afford  it. 

(e)  The  type  of  special  training  needed  is  that  with  a 
broad  outlook  and  applications.  In  a few  cases  persons  may 
be  needed  to  teach  only  single  subjects  or  sub-divisions  of 
subjects  in  missionary  colleges.  Those  preparing  for  such 
work  might  well  take  advanced  degrees.  But  for  the  most 
part  those  are  needed  who  have  studied  in  two  related  fields, 
such  as  chemistry  and  physics,  sociology  and  economics,  or 
in  such  subjects  as  educational  theory,  industrial  education, 
applied  social  science,  agriculture,  etc.,  that  have  many  re- 
lationships with  broad  situations.  It  is  unfortunate  that  the 
idea  of  special  training  is  so  closely  related  in  the  minds  of 
most  persons  with  more  narrow  types  of  study  rather  than 
with  the  broad  types.  The  sort  of  work  required  for  a 
Ph.D.  degree  is  in  many  cases  too  specialized  to  be  of  the 
greatest  use  on  the  foreign  field.  Those  aiming  at  this  de- 
gree should  select  subjects  which  in  content  and  method 
have  a broad  bearing  on  their  future  work.  Moreover,  they 
should  not  become  so  absorbed  in  their  specialty  as  to  lose 
touch  with  other  interests. 

Practical  experience  in  the  application  of  knowledge,  es- 
pecially to  undeveloped  situations,  is  desirable.  Specialists 
who  are  strong  in  theory  and  weak  in  practice,  or  who  are 
effective  only  in  the  most  favorable  surroundings,  will  be 
at  a great  disadvantage  on  the  foreign  field.  A year  or  more 
of  actual  work  at  home,  under  conditions  that  demand  initia- 
tive, should  be  had  wherever  practicable,  and  will  contribute 
greatly  to  balance  in  a sense  of  self-confidence.  On  the 
other  hand,  new  missionaries  must  realize  that  no  amount  of 
home  experience  can  teach  them  many  things  that  they  need 
to  know. 

Executive  ability,  the  ability  to  train  others  effectively 
along  special  lines,  and  the  ability  to  set  them  to  work,  are 
also  of  the  highest  importance.  The  cause  of  specialization 


63 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


on  the  foreign  field  will  be  seriously  marred  by  workers  who 
are  merely  skilled  or  erudite  and  who  lack  these  absolutely 
essential  qualities. 

(f)  Specialization  before  sailing  should  be  sufficiently 
thorough  to  enable  the  student  to  study  intelligently  further 
possible  developments  in  his  line  of  work  under  the  circum- 
stances that  confront  him,  and  to  build  up  his  specialty  with- 
out assistance.  It  takes  a certain  amount  of  special  study 
to  enable  a man  fully  to  appreciate  the  opportunities  and 
needs  of  the  situation  along  any  line. 

There  are  certain  things  which  he  cannot  possibly  antici- 
pate until  he  comes  into  close  contact  with  field  conditions. 
Such  contacts  should  be  considered  an  indispensable  element 
in  training.  But  what  a man  sees  depends  largely  on  what 
he  has  been  trained  to  see.  Those  who  postpone  any  study 
of  their  specialty  until  their  first  furlough  will  probably  fail 
to  notice  many  things  and  opportunities  on  the  field  that 
would  otherwise  be  obvious.  A broad  basis  of  specialization 
before  sailing  will  make  the  field  experience  of  the  mission- 
ary much  more  profitable. 

Those  to  whom  work  has  been  definitely  assigned  should 
prepare  to  get  along,  if  necessary,  without  the  aids  in  the 
way  of  encouragement,  equipment,  and  advice  that  they  have 
at  home.  A number  of  our  correspondents  testify  that  work- 
ers must  expect  in  some  fields  to  discover  that  the  founda- 
tions for  their  specialty  have  not  even  been  laid.  The  amount 
of  special  training  that  is  advisable  in  each  particular  case 
will  depend  upon  the  position  to  which  the  candidate  goes. 

(g)  The  candidate  with  special  training  should  look  for- 
ward to  his  first  furlough  as  an  opportunity  for  supple- 
mentary study.  In  some  cases  special  arrangements  with 
his  Board  may  be  necessary  for  a shorter  first  term  or  a 
longer  furlough.  He  should  plan  carefully  in  advance  how 
he  can  spend  his  time  to  most  advantage.  Subsequent  fur- 
loughs may  be  equally  important. 


64 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


(h)  There  are  certain  personal  qualities  which  are  partic- 
ularly needed  by  the  candidate  with  special  training.  Those 
lacking  in  these  qualities  may  well  doubt  their  fitness  for  the 
foreign  field.  Those  who  possess  them  to  a moderate  degree 
should  earnestly  cultivate  them.  The  most  essential  quality 
is  the  missionary  spirit  that  seeks  first  the  Kingdom  of  God 
and  is  willing  to  do  what  is  most  needed  for  its  welfare. 
This  does  not  mean  that  a man  is  bound  to  accept  the  opinion 
of  his  fellow-workers  as  to  the  specific  demands  of  the 
Kingdom,  but  only  that  he  shall  be  always  ready  to  sur- 
render his  personal  preference  when  the  issue  is  clear  to 
him.  The  ability  to  get  along  with  other  people  is  the  more 
necessary  in  a specialist  because  he  has  interests  that  are 
different  from  those  of  the  majority.  Cheerfulness  and  a 
sense  of  humor  are  a part  of  this  equipment.  Adaptability, 
initiative,  and  perseverance  are  highly  important  mental 
qualities.  The  candidate  should  give  himself  opportunity 
for  testing  and  strengthening  these  traits. 

(i)  While  the  candidate  must  be  prepared  to  meet  with 
disappointments  of  various  kinds  on  the  foreign  field,  he 
should  make  every  ejfort  to  reduce  misunderstandings  to  a 
minimum  by  careful  inquiry  before  he  sails.  It  is  not  safe 
to  assume  that  the  Board  is  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the 
situation  to  which  he  goes.  As  our  correspondents  testify, 
misfits  of  the  most  lamentable  sort  have  occurred  because 
neither  the  precise  needs  of  the  field  nor  the  qualifications 
of  the  candidate  were  sufficiently  understood  in  advance.  In 
many  cases  direct  correspondence  with  the  field  regarding 
his  case  by  the  responsible  Secretary  would  be  a great  help. 

(j)  Many  of  our  correspondents  think  that  Boards  and 
missions  should  be  willing  to  assure  candidates  that  they 
will  not  be  transferred  to  other  than  their  assigned  work 
without  their  consent.  It  would  seem,  therefore,  to  be  in 
order  for  the  candidate  to  inquire  as  to  such  assurance,  and 
not  unfair  to  lay  stress  upon  it.  But  while  a man  is  often 


65 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


justified  in  turning  to  another  Board  which  may  be  able  to 
place  him  to  better  advantage,  he  should  he  in  all  cases  pre- 
pared to  sacrifice  to  meet  emergencies  on  the  field.  He  must 
not  permit  specialized  tastes  to  distort  his  perspective. 

4.  Constructive  Suggestions  for  the  Consideration  of 
Missions  in  the  Field 

(a)  Missions  should  understand  that  whatever  the  diffi- 
culties and  dangers  of  special  training,  the  problem  is  one 
that  will  inevitably  grow  in  importance,  and  that,  therefore, 
it  should  be  studied  carefully  and  without  prejudice.  When 
change  is  taking  place  rapidly  those  whose  judgment  is  based 
on  more  remote  experience  are  relatively  at  a disadvantage. 
The  question  should  be  decided  by  those  who  are  sufficiently 
in  touch  with  more  recent  developments  to  appreciate  their 
weight.  In  view  of  the  testimony  of  our  correspondents,  a 
few  unfortunate  experiences  with  individuals  ought  not  to 
lead  a mission  to  conclude  that  special  training  is  in  itself 
undesirable.  The  subject  should  be  made  a matter  of  special 
study  and  report  in  many  missions. 

(b)  On  the  basis  of  such  study  policies  should  be  framed 
in  advance,  indicating  the  lines  of  development  for  the  next 
few  years,  the  staff  and  funds  needed,  and  the  precautions 
necessary  in  selecting,  training,  placing,  and  cooperating 
with  new  missionaries.  These  policies  may  well  include 
recommendations  as  to  the  specific  division  of  training  be- 
tween the  period  before  sailing,  the  language  school  on  the 
field,  and  the  first  furlough.  Consultation  with  other  mis- 
sionary workers  in  the  same  territory  is  highly  desirable. 

(c)  Missions  should  discuss  from  time  to  time  the  types 
of  special  training  most  and  least  needed,  reporting  their 
conclusions  to  their  home  Boards.  On  so  important  a mat- 
ter a friendly  consultation  with  other  missions  is  worth  while 
as  a corrective  of  judgment. 


66 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


(d)  When  a position  demanding  special  training  is  to  be 
filled,  a very  clear  statement  should  he  sent  to  the  Boards 
specifying  what  is  wanted  and  the  type  of  personal  qualities 
and  training  likely  to  he  most  useful.  It  is  evident  that  mis- 
understandings have  arisen  in  the  past  for  lack  of  this. 

(e)  Greater  care  should  be  taken  in  seeing  that  special 
work  which  has  been  approved  is  given  adequate  support. 
Our  correspondents  mention  frequent  lack  of  sympathy  for 
specialists  on  the  part  of  other  missionaries.  It  has  been 
suggested  that  those  with  special  training  be  often  asked  to 
read  papers  bearing  on  their  specialties,  so  that  others  may 
understand  what  they  are  prepared  to  do,  and  may  help  them 
in  making  the  most  effective  adjustment  of  their  time  and 
strength. 

(f)  The  mission  should  assist  those  who  are  to  study  on 
furlough  with  suggestions  regarding  the  training  needed. 
They  should  then  expect  that  the  Boards  at  home  will  make 
such  study  possible. 

(g)  Interdenominational  cooperation  in  various  forms  of 
special  work  often  makes  for  efficiency  and  is  sometimes  in- 
dispensable. Many  specialties  can  never  find  their  greatest 
usefulness  except  by  such  cooperation.  The  matter  should  be 
pushed,  both  by  interdenominational  agencies  on  the  field 
and  by  home  Boards.  There  should  be  committees  on  the 
field  to  survey  the  work  as  a whole  and  to  assist  in  placing 
specialized  workers  to  the  best  advantage.  Everything  pos- 
sible should  be  done  to  make  available  for  the  whole  mission- 
ary body  the  skill  of  those  who  are  prepared  to  do  success- 
ful work  along  any  special  line.  There  should  be  frequent 
conferences  of  specialized  workers  in  the  same  department 
from  different  missions. 


67 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


5.  Constructive  Suggestions  for  the  Consideration  of  the 
Mission  Boards  of  North  America 

(a)  Boards  must  recognise  clearly,  both  that  demands 
for  specialised  training  are  increasing  and  that  the  supply 
available  is  more  adequate  than  ever  before. 

The  Committee  on  Findings  of  the  conference  held  in 
February,  1919,  declared  as  follows: 

“The  progress  of  the  mission  enterprise  has  demonstrated  that  mod- 
ern missionary  efficiency  demands  that  an  increasing  proportion  of 
the  missionaries  sent  to  the  foreign  field  shall  have  received,  in  addi- 
tion to  the  all-round  training  required  to  make  them  capable  general 
missionaries,  a training  fitting  them  for  specific  leadership.  The  edu- 
cational, social  and  technical  problems  of  the  mission  fields  are  grow- 
ing in  complexity  and  require  the  initiative  and  support  of  technically 
trained  missionaries.” 

The  methods  of  twenty  years  ago  for  dealing  with  candi- 
dates will  not  suffice  today.  Policies  with  regard  to  the  use 
of  special  training  may  need  to  be  revised  both  at  home  and 
on  the  field.  The  problem  is  an  important  one  and  deserves 
more  attention  than  it  has  in  most  quarters  received. 

The  findings  also  state:  “In  general  we  recommend  that 
the  problems  relating  to  the  discovery,  training,  placing,  and 
growth  of  missionaries  with  specialized  training  be  studied 
in  a progressive  spirit.” 

(b)  There  should  be  a closer  study  of  the  needs  of  the 
various  fields  for  special  training.  Our  correspondence 
would  seem  to  indicate  that  at  least  in  some  countries  those 
in  control  of  the  policies  of  the  missions  are  not  sufficiently 
in  sympathy  with  special  forms  of  work  to  give  them  the 
place  they  should  have.  As  noted  above,  it  sometimes  re- 
quires special  training  in  order  to  appreciate  the  need  and 
opportunity  for  it. 

The  second  recommendation  of  the  Committee  on  Find- 
ings reads  as  follows : 

“The  first  hindrance  to  this  advance  in  missionary  policy  lies  in  the 
lack  of  scientific  data  for  action.  We  would,  therefore,  recommend 


68 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


that  the  social,  industrial,  educational  or  other  needs  of  large  mission 
areas  be  studied  by  careful  surveys,  so  that  intelligent  measures  may 
be  taken  to  furnish  the  expert  leadership  required  to  meet  these  needs. 
These  surveys  should  be  made  by  bodies  of  representatives  of  the 
various  forces  on  the  field  thoroughly  qualified  to  interpret  the  facts. 
Such  bodies  should  associate  with  themselves  specialized  experts  who 
in  many  cases,  and  especially  in  such  lines  as  industrial  and  agricul- 
tural training,  may  recognize  opportunities  which  might  not  be  obvi- 
ous to  others,  and  who  can  bring  to  bear  the  resources  of  the  best 
experience  of  the  West.” 

(c)  It  tvould  undoubtedly  make  for  increased  efficiency 
if  policies  should  be  mapped  out  for  longer  periods  in  ad- 
vance. The  surveys  recommended  in  the  preceding  para- 
graph will  furnish  an  excellent  basis  for  such  action.  While 
ideal  arrangements  may  not  be  possible,  there  is  unquestion- 
ably room  for  considerable  improvement.  Missions  should 
be  encouraged,  not  only  to  study  their  present  needs,  but  to 
forecast  those  two,  three,  or  more  years  in  advance.  At 
least  some  of  the  present  misfits  and  blunders  in  professional 
service  might  be  avoided,  and  volunteers  can  be  more  ade- 
quately prepared.  Unless  destinations  can  be  foreseen  more 
accurately  a certain  amount  of  the  education  of  missionary 
candidates  will  be  apt  to  be  wide  of  the  mark  and  much  other 
useful  training  will  be  omitted.  In  some  cases  the  waste  in- 
volved in  ignorance  of  final  destination  is  very  great.  More- 
over, strong  workers  might  be  attracted  to  missionary  serv- 
ice by  appeals  for  special  training  that  they  had  received. 

(d)  Essential  qualifications  must  be  required  of  all  candi- 
dates— just  as  strictly  from  specialized  workers  as  from 
others.  Every  candidate  should  be  required  to  give  evidence 
of  an  earnest  missionary  spirit,  of  native  ability,  of  power 
to  apply  his  knowledge  to  the  needs  of  life  and  to  new  situa- 
tions, of  a broad  general  training  to  supply  perspective,  of 
ability  to  get  along  with  others,  of  sufficient  religious  knowl- 
edge and  experience  to  be  a force  in  the  mission,  and  an 
understanding  of  and  consecration  to  the  great  aims  of  the 


69 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


missionary  enterprise.  The  Findings  Committee  states: 
“We  reaffirm  the  essential  necessity  of  spiritual  qualifica- 
tions and  the  evangelistic  motive  and  spirit  in  all  mission- 
aries.” It  also  states:  “The  securing  of  the  right  sort  of 
missionary  with  specialized  training  calls  for  a far  closer 
study  of  the  essential  qualifications  of  those  who  offer  them- 
selves for  missionary  service.”  If  these  requirements  are 
waived  because  a man  is  an  expert  along  some  line,  we  have 
no  right  to  expect  successful  missionary  work. 

(e)  Candidate  departments  should  he  strengthened  so  as 
to  permit  a closer  supervision  of  candidates.  The  Findings 
Committee  calls  for:  “A  strengthening  of  the  candidate  de- 
partments of  our  home  Boards,  so  that  each  candidate  may 
be  efficiently  supervised  and  adequately  tested,  even  during 
his  college  course,  in  regard  to  his  response  to  the  training 
he  is  undergoing.”  There  should  be  more  care  than  has 
been  taken  in  the  past  in  the  guidance  of  candidates,  since 
the  problems  that  the  missionary  enterprise  is  coming  to  face 
are  more  difficult.  Boards  should  come  as  fully  as  possible 
into  contact  with  volunteers  who  are  likely  to  offer  their 
services  later,  and  should  see  that  they  receive  advice  con- 
cerning their  choice  of  studies  all  through  their  course.  This 
will  require  a more  technical  knowledge  of  the  situation  to- 
day in  American  education  than  an  administrative  secretary 
usually  possesses.  Effort  should  be  made  to  obtain  it  from 
some  competent  source.  Regrettable  failures  on  the  field 
have  evidently  been  due  to  neglect  along  these  lines  on  the 
part  of  home  Boards. 

(f)  An  effort  should  he  made  to  assign  candidates  earlier 
to  special  positions.  The  Findings  Committee  states:  “[Spe- 
cialized] training  calls  for  an  earlier  appointment  of  candi- 
dates to  their  tasks  and  fields  of  service,  so  that  their  course 
of  preparation  may  be  adjusted  as  closely  as  possible  to  the 
actual  needs  of  the  field.  The  existing  system  of  late  ap- 
pointment is  particularly  wasteful  in  the  case  of  those  who 


70 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


require  specialized  training.  Care  should  be  taken  not  to 
sacrifice  efficiency  in  this  regard  to  considerations  of  admin- 
istrative convenience  or  expense.” 

(g)  Financial  assistance  may  need  to  he  given  to  some 
candidates.  The  statement  of  the  Findings  Committee  is: 
“Such  training  may  call  for  provision  of  financial  assistance 
in  the  case  of  some  candidates.  This  assistance  should  be 
rendered  by  the  Boards,  under  proper  safeguards,  if  with- 
out it  candidates  would  be  unable  to  obtain  the  type  of  train- 
ing which  they  really  need.” 

(h)  Greater  care  should  be  taken  that  the  special  training 
shall  he  both  more  thorough  and  better  adapted  to  the  situa- 
tion on  the  field. — We  must  send  out  no  more  missionaries 
who  are  “specialists  only  by  courtesy.”  The  Findings  Com- 
mittee suggests  that:  “Interdenominational  committees  of 
experts,  assisted  by  missionaries  on  furlough,  may  wisely  be 
organized  in  various  North  American  districts  to  render  effi- 
cient service  in  cooperation  with  the  candidate  departments 
of  the  various  Boards  in  passing  on  the  character  of  the  spe- 
cialized training  of  applicants  and  its  adaptability  to  field 
conditions.”  At  present  Boards  sometimes  send  out  a man 
for  agricultural  work  because  he  is  something  of  a mechanic, 
or  assign  a man  to  teach  chemistry  because  he  has  taken 
post-graduate  work  in  physics,  and  employ  for  all  sorts  of 
specialized  positions  those  whose  only  special  training  has 
been  in  theology.  The  committee  suggested,  if  empowered 
to  employ  expert  aid  when  needed,  would  render  it  reasona- 
bly certain  that  missionaries  were  not  sent  out  for  work 
which  they  would  be  considered  unfitted  to  perform  at  home. 

Personality  and  native  ability  are  the  supremely  important 
qualities  of  missionaries,  but  they  do  not  automatically  sup- 
ply special  training.  The  more  able  a man  is,  the  more  his 
time  is  worth  saving.  Granted  that  our  ablest  missionaries 
would  sooner  or  later  master  any  task  that  confronted  them 
on  the  field,  we  should  give  them  any  training  they  may  need. 


71 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF.  MISSIONARIES 


when  and  where  it  may  be  had  most  effectively  and  economi- 
cally. This  is  in  many  cases  at  home  before  they  sail  or  on 
furlough.  We  should  do  everything  possible  to  afford  them 
the  most  competent  supervision  and  testing. 

(i)  Mission  Boards  might  make  it  a matter  of  policy  to 
give  assurance  to  candidates  with  special  training  that  they 
will  not  he  assigned  to  other  forms  of  work  without  their 
consent,  in  cases  where  individuals  possess  the  type  of  dis- 
position and  the  missionary  spirit  that  does  not  refuse 
reasonable  requests.  A majority  of  our  correspondents  feel 
that  such  an  assurance  should  be  given,  provided  mission- 
aries recognize  that  special  emergencies  constitute  valid  ex- 
ceptions. 

The  testimony  on  question  12,  on  pages  53-55,  should  be 
consulted  on  this  point.  The  judgment  of  the  Findings  Com- 
mittee is  as  follows : 

“A  crucial  question  raised  by  the  discussions  of  missionary 
specialization  is  that  of  the  ultimate  authority  and  responsibility 
for  the  placing  of  missionaries  on  the  field.  In  the  case  of  the 
Boards  with  many  missionaries  in  one  mission  area  there  seems 
to  be  a growing  tendency  to  commit  this  responsibility  to  a rep- 
resentative council  in  that  area.  In  any  case,  each  Board  should 
see  to  it  that  the  candidates  who  have  undergone  careful  training 
for  specific  departments  of  work  are  permitted  without  undue 
delay  to  enter  upon  such  work,  and  that  such  specialists  shall  not 
be  transferred  to  other  departments  of  work  without  their  con- 
sent, unless  to  meet  an  emergency.  This  will  mean  (1)  a thor- 
ough understanding  in  advance,  by  the  home  Board,  to  avoid  mis- 
fits, both  of  the  abilities  of  the  candidate  and  the  needs  of  the 
department  of  work  to  which  he  is  assigned,  (2)  the  committing 
of  much  responsibility  to  a properly  organized  group  in  the  field, 
(3)  the  recognition  of  the  principle  of  cooperation  on  the  field, 
permitting  a flexible  adjustment  of  a specially  trained  missionary 
to  his  task,  and  (4)  a willingness  among  Boards  and  missions  to 
make  exchanges  of  such  candidates  and  missionaries  when  the 
work  requires  it.” 

In  the  discussion  of  this  resolution  at  the  conference  it 
was  urged  in  objection  that  the  majority  in  each  mission 

72 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


should  rule  and  be  able  to  make  such  transfers  as  it  consid- 
ered necessary;  that  transfers  were  often  made  for  personal 
reasons  where  workers  were  misfits;  that  specialists  are 
sometimes  lacking  in  broad  sympathy  and  in  the  spirit  of 
sacrifice  which  makes  them  willing  to  accept  a transfer; 
that  change  of  work  is  sometimes  beneficial  to  a missionary 
beyond  his  expectations,  and  that  to  permit  exceptional  treat- 
ment for  those  with  special  training  would  be  to  make  them 
a privileged  class.  On  the  other  hand,  it  was  pointed  out 
that  the  resolution  expressly  provided  for  cases  of  emer- 
gency; that  Boards  should  demand  from  all  their  workers 
the  missionary  spirit  which  would  lead  them  to  sacrifice 
cheerfully  in  order  to  meet  emergencies;  that  there  was 
nothing  in  the  resolution  which  prevented  a change  from  one 
place  to  another  in  the  same  general  line  of  activity ; and  that 
the  ultimate  aim  was  to  secure  a greater  stability  and  effi- 
ciency in  the  work  on  the  field  by  the  assurance  that  years 
of  special  training  would  not  be  wasted  by  the  inconsiderate 
exercise  of  the  authority  of  the  mission  group. 

While  it  is  difficult  to  frame  a recommendation  that  meets 
all  possible  objections,  it  was  apparently  felt  that  the  above 
finding  should  be  permitted  to  stand,  with  an  emphasis  on 
the  need  on  the  part  of  specialized  workers  of  making  sacri- 
fices in  cases  of  emergency.  Boards  unwilling  to  adopt  this 
resolution  should  at  least  try  to  secure  by  other  measures  the 
results  aimed  at. 

(j)  Mission  Boards  should  he  more  willing  to  turn  over  to 
other  Boards  special  types  of  trained  men  and  women  whose 
services  they  cannot  use  to  advantage.  It  is  in  most  cases 
unfair,  both  to  the  worker  and  the  work,  to  persuade  a can- 
didate to  waste  several  years  of  special  training  and  to  under- 
take a task  for  which  he  has  had  no  preparation  whatever. 

(k)  Further  arrangements  should  be  made  for  study  dur- 
ing furlough. — The  question  of  supplementary  study  during 
furlough  deserves  more  care  than  it  has  received.  It  is 


73 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


necessary  for  three  reasons:  (1)  because  needs  cannot  be 
foreseen  with  sufficient  accuracy  before  sailing;  (2)  because 
study  undertaken  after  practical  experience  will  be  far  more 
valuable  and  effective;  (3)  because  it  will  be  impossible  for 
the  missionary  on  the  field  to  keep  absolutely  abreast  of 
progress  in  the  line  of  his  specialty.  These  reasons  should 
not  be  permitted  to  stand  in  the  way  of  thorough  prepara- 
tion in  the  first  place  unless  arrangements  are  made  for  a 
short  term  of  service.  In  order  to  profit  most  by  experience 
on  the  field  it  will  be  necessary  to  have  a certain  well-organ- 
ized capital  of  knowledge  and  experience  gained  at  home. 

The  Committee  on  Findings  says: 

“In  order  to  enable  missionaries  engaged  in  different  forms  of 
technical  work  to  keep  abreast  of  the  progress  that  is  being  made 
in  their  professions,  they  should  be  encouraged  to  use  at  least  their 
first  furloughs  in  such  further  training  as  will  qualify  them  to  do 
their  work  most  effectively.  It  is  recommended  that  the  Boards 
facilitate  this  in  such  ways  as  may  be  necessary,  such  as  a longer 
furlough,  shorter  term  of  service,  financial  aid  or  freedom  from 
long-continued  deputation  work.” 

The  committee  of  the  Board  of  Missionary  Preparation 
appointed  in  1914  to  prepare  a report  on  the  helpful  use  of 
the  missionary  furlough  noted  as  the  evident  order  of  relative 
importance  in  the  estimation  of  the  Boards,  missionary  objec- 
tives during  furlough  as  follows:  (1)  health;  (2)  visits  to 
relatives  and  friends;  (3)  deputation  work;  (4)  spiritual 
stimulus;  (5)  study.  The  Committee  recommended  that  the 
order  should  be  accepted  as  follows:  (1)  health;  (2)  study; 
(3)  spiritual  stimulus;  (4)  visits  to  relatives  and  friends; 
(5)  deputation  work.  This  pamphlet,  like  all  of  those  pub- 
lished by  the  Board  of  IMissionary  Preparation,  received  the 
approval  of  the  Annual  Conference  of  Foreign  Mission 
Boards  of  North  America.  In  spite  of  this  a leading  Board 
not  long  afterwards,  in  preparing  a program  for  a confer- 
ence with  its  missionaries  on  furlough,  provided  for  the  dis- 

74 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


cussion  of  every  other  of  these  five  topics  except  study,  and 
gave  the  most  space  to  deputation  work.  The  incident  is 
probably  typical. 

While  the  attitude  of  Boards  is  theoretically  friendly  to 
study  during  furlough,  they  not  infrequently  render  it  im- 
possible, even  when  urgently  needed,  by  demands  for  depu- 
tation work,  and  more  often  by  failing  to  provide  time  and 
financial  assistance.  Missionaries  who  return  in  good  health, 
who  happen  to  live  near  educational  institutions,  whose 
financial  circumstances  are  exceptionally  favorable,  or  who 
are  fortunate  enough  to  secure  scholarships,  are  able  to 
study.  Others,  who  may  need  such  work  even  more,  are 
unable  to  obtain  it  because  they  must  spend  most  of  their 
time  in  physical  recuperation  or  because  they  have  not  the 
means  to  live  where  universities  are  situated.  The  matter 
is  left  very  much  to  chance.  Boards  should  pursue  a more 
progressive  policy  and  demand  from  missions  or  from  care- 
fully selected  committees  on  the  field  recommendations  as 
to  how  furloughs  should  be  spent.  They  should  supply  the 
funds  needed  to  carry  out  these  recommendations  in  the  in- 
terests of  the  work.  The  suggestion  of  a correspondent  that 
there  should  be  a minimum  furlough  of  six  months  for  all, 
to  be  extended  for  special  reasons  of  health,  study,  or  depu- 
tation work,  is  worthy  of  earnest  consideration.  Large  flexi- 
bility should  obtain  in  furlough  regulations  and  measures 
should  not  be  turned  down  altogether  because  they  are  not 
applicable  to  all,  but  discrimination  should  be  used.  What- 
ever enables  the  furlough  better  to  fulfil  its  purpose  of  send- 
ing back  missionaries  more  efficiently  prepared  for  their 
work  should  be  encouraged  and  supported.  In  some  cases 
study  might  profitably  be  directed  by  correspondence,  but 
most  Boards  have  not  on  their  staffs  persons  with  the  time 
and  other  qualifications  to  superintend  such  work.^ 

^ The  whole  subject  of  the  wise  use  of  the  missionary  furlough  re- 
ceived a thorough  consideration  at  a conference  held  in  December, 


75 


THE  SPECIALIZED  TRAINING  OF  MISSIONARIES 


(1)  When  a vacancy  in  special  work  occurs  on  the  field 
a considerable  interval  frequently  elapses  before  another 
qualified  worker  is  provided.  None  may  be  available  in  the 
mission  and  the  Board  at  home  may  take  a long  time  in  se- 
curing a suitable  substitute.  A year  in  the  language  school 
may  be  added  to  the  delay.  For  this  reason  a statement  sub- 
mitted to  our  correspondents  contained  the  suggestion  that 
it  might  be  well  for  Boards  to  stock  the  language  schools  on 
the  field  with  that  proportion  of  specialized  workers  which 
seems  most  likely  to  be  needed,  and  to  let  the  missions,  sub- 
ject to  their  approval,  draw  directly  on  these  schools  for 
their  needs.  This  suggestion  drew  forth  little  specific  com- 
ment, the  greater  part  of  it  unfavorable.  If  all  those  who 
explicitly  endorsed  the  statement  as  a whole  were  added,  it 
would  have  had  a majority.  One  would  infer  that  it  was  not 
generally  regarded  as  an  important  issue.  Later  it  may  be- 
come more  prominent. 

It  cannot  be  claimed  that  these  recommendations  are  based 
on  the  unanimous  support  of  our  correspondents,  but  only 
that  they  represent  the  consensus  of  the  majority.  When  we 
keep  in  mind  that  no  reform,  however  desirable,  has  ever 
failed  to  call  forth  some  dissent  from  persons  of  the  highest 
ability  and  character,  it  is  only  to  be  expected  that  in  a mat- 
ter such  as  this  we  should  have  warnings  and  protests  from 
some  experienced  and  trusted  missionaries.  Absolute  una- 
nimity of  opinion  would  signify  that  the  subject  discussed 
was  a settled  and  dead  issue.  The  consensus  of  opinion  ob- 
tained by  this  investigation  on  some  important  subjects  is 
probably  as  large  as  Boards  and  missions  should  expect  to 
secure  as  a basis  of  new  policies. 

1919.  Its  report,  published  by  the  Board  of  Missionary  Preparation, 
and  the  revised  pamphlet  on  The  Use  of  the  Furlough,  which  will  be 
available  during  1920,  cover  these  matters  in  detail. 


76 


PUBLICATIONS  OF  THE 
BOARD  OF  MISSIONARY  PREPARATION 

25  MADISON  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK  CITY 


REPRINTS  AND  REPORTS 

On  Preparation  for  Types  of  Missionary  Service 
The  Preparation  of  Ordained  Missionaries  (revised)  . .Paper  10  cents 
The  Preparation  of  Medical  Missionaries  (revised) ..  .Paper  10  cents 


The  Preparation  of  Educational  Missionaries 

(revised) ....Paper  10  cents 

The  Preparation  of  Women  for  Foreign  Service 

(revised) ...Paper  10  cents 


On  Preparation  for  Fields  of  Service 
The  Preparation  of  Missionaries  Appointed  to  China.  .Paper  10  cents 

The  Preparation  of  Missionaries  Appointed  to  India.  .Paper  10  cents 

The  Preparation  of  Missionaries  Appointed  to  Japan . . Paper  10  cents 

The  Preparation  of  Missionaries  Appointed  to  Latin 

America  Paper  10  cents 

The  Preparation  of  Missionaries  Appointed  to  the 

Near  East , Paper  10  cents 

The  Preparation  of  Missionaries  Appointed  to  Pagan 

Africa  ...Paper  10  cents 

On  the  Presentation  of  the  Christian  Message 


The  Presentation  of  Christianity  in  Confucian  Lands.. Paper  50  cents 

The  Presentation  of  Christianity  to  Hindus Paper  50  cents 

The  Presentation  of  Christianity  to  Moslems Paper  50  cents 

On  Themes  of  Special  Importance 
The  Specialized  Training  of  Missionaries ....Paper  50  cents 


Reports  of  Conferences 

The  Report  of  a Conference  on  the  Preparation  of 

Ordained  Missionaries  Paper  25  cents 

The  Report  of  a Conference  on  the  Preparation  of 

Women  for  Foreign  Missionary  Service Paper  25  cents 

The  Report  of  a Conference  on  the  Preparation  of 

Medical  Missionaries  Paper  25  cents 

The  Report  of  a Conference  on  the  Preparation  of  Edu- 
cational Missionaries  Paper  25  cents 


